a walkabout

In Australian aboriginal cultures, a "walkabout" is a ritual in which a young man goes on a solitary journey through the wilderness in an attempt to learn more about his own character and strength.

My first walkabout experience occurred when I was 18 years old. I was in Europe and it was when I followed Ben Kweller and band around for the first time. I left a few days after I turned 18 and I left after he invited me to his England tour. I went by myself and explore England by myself. I stayed at hostels by myself and traveled on trains by myself. I left with 300 US dollars which had to last me a week and a half and paid for my hotel stays, my transportation, and my meals. It was tough but it was the best experience of my life. I remember the moment when I was sitting on a train and I just looked around and I was surrounded by business people in suits, asleep in their seats as they were waiting to get to a board meeting or to get home and I was writing in my journal, looking outside the window as the landscape passed me by. It was in that moment that I realized I never wanted to wear a suit, I never wanted to be bored with my life and I always wanted to travel. It was in that moment that I knew I wanted to be in the music business and there was a surge of joy that just went through me. It was a point in my life that I thought I would never reach. I was really depressed for most of my young life and luckily that string of depression broke before I entered HS because I don't know how I could have survived high school. But that realization on that train made me realize that I will never want to die again and that there is something to live for that will make my life meaningful. Ok that was corny..but whatever. I learned so much about myself on that trip. So much. I made friendships I STILL have. I got a job out of it 3 years later. It is hard to describe. I ate one meal a day to save money so I could have a roof over my head. That was the extent of the "wilderness" in my story but I was in awe, I was amazed, I was surrounded by the greatest musicians and I'm still amazed looking at the tour ahead of me.

Wow. Sometimes when you think of all the stress in your life and it just doesnt compare when you realize what your life is and how you can make the best out of it. Of course I know some of my friends LIVE to be in suits and live for crunching numbers and balancing books and everything and I am in no way saying that's bad because that's their passion and they have as much joy doing it as I do doing what I do. I respect them so much for doing something I can't do. In fact, I hope they'll loan me 12 dollars for dinner when I can't afford it. ha