I was asked, “why do you travel?”. I replied that I had no idea. I walk around the world with lots of questions, and always different answers. And moreover, I am convinced that happiness does not depend on travel, work, vacations, sedentary life, or on nomadism. So, I don’t travel with the aim of being happier than I am, nor to be less unhappy than I am.
In my nomadic life, I often suffer and am extremely unhappy. For example, I sometimes find myself, on the other side of the world, obliged to share my living space for several days with French people. Sometimes I can’t find real coffee in the morning except for Nescafé, and this in countries that are among the largest coffee producers in the world. I sometimes end up in dirty places, where they cut off your water and serve you horns and engine noises to wake you up early in the morning. I won’t tell you about the times when I’m bored, and when I only travel because I have to move sooner or later…
But you, if you have a job, a house, an address, a family, it is also obvious that what I can endure sometimes, you endure it too. You come home from work and your wife gives you the cold shoulder for example. Or you go to work and your boss or a colleague really pisses you off from the start of the day. And how often do the kids get on your nerves! All this without mentioning the bills, the papers, the taxes… And on top of that, by misfortune, we sometimes have to listen to the vain bla-bla of the politicians on TV.
Yes, my friends, it’s like that: hell is absolutely everywhere. With or without a house, with or without a partner, with or without family, with or without bills to pay. And in the same way, one goes with the other, beauty, synonymous with paradise, is also everywhere.
As far as I am concerned, in my nomadic life, I have very little interest in countries and travel. What makes me happy is when, for example, I can see Mars, Saturn or Jupiter again and again from different places and continents. I see beauty in the behavior of street dogs in different climates and cultures. Sometimes I see a cactus, a snake hiding, a mountain, a flower, waterfalls filled with pools of clear water, and spider webs. This, of course, without mentioning the great encounters where love is always mixed with friendship. I see happiness when I party with my friends. A big party with a beautiful lady I met on a trip is as delightful as a party with my cousins from Zarmdine, or with my friends from Soussa or Quebec. Joy is absolutely everywhere, always present. And remember, so is hell.
You yourself have many pleasures. To each his escapades and to each his delights. With family, children or friends, you often burst out laughing. With bosses, employees and colleagues, there are often great parties and fun. And of course, you can even treat yourself by buying things, changing cars or houses. Relationships, even if they are only with a dog, a cat, a plant, or a person you can’t directly touch in front of you, make you immensely happy. There are also some of you who have lovers, mistresses and delicious hidden relationships. That is why joy is everywhere for you too. Happiness is everywhere.
As you surely remember, hell is also everywhere. That’s why our lives are the same. And if you ever set out to live in the misery, the unknown and the difficulty of nomadism without work and without purpose, you will surely find many delights and countless joys. And if I take over your house, your kitchen, the comfort of your living room, the salary of your work and then also your bills, your wife, your children, your mother-in-law, your neighbor, etc., you can be sure that I will be extremely happy to taste the delights that I have almost forgotten. And with certainty, I will be able to find, in your house, your family and your work, many hells. The joy of beauty will be as present and powerful as the bitterness of ugliness. That is why it is useless to travel or not to travel, to live with or without an address. The street dog is neither more nor less fortunate than the domestic dog.
So, now you finally know why I travel. Once and for all, I have answered this question, and quite clearly. I hope you understood me.
Nadim M. 