Found yourself swaggering through the Australian outback in your PJs lately? It’s time to stop. Don’t let the idea of global travel incessantly nag at your conscience. Disclaimer: follow COVID-19 travel restrictions.

If you have never entertained a thought about gallivanting across the globe, you are lying. That’s the truth. We muse the reality of glorious new sights, smells and tastes shown in Instagram posts. We marvel at the guys and girls on YouTube adopting radical tiny-house on wheels lifestyles.

Then, when we near the end of our galvanic rush, we ponder how meaningful it would be to let go of our inhibitions. What it would be like to jump on a train, rove and arrive at Liberation Station.

There it is again… that nagging thought 

After spending hours of our time and energy living online adventures, what do we do? We shelf the thoughts. Yes, after hiking the Appalachian trail in our fluffy white socks, swaggered through the Austrian outback in our PJs and jumped in a Scottish loch with a cup of coffee in hand. We shelf it.

We place the desire for exploration in a crevice somewhere in the mind. Not so deep that we forget though. We place it teetering on the edge so that we feel the friction of its existence. We might choose to entertain it during a twinge. Why not experience the delights of eating patisserie in Paris whilst taking a shit?

Eventually though, when our thumbs fall tired of scrolling, that’s the moment we tentatively slot the thought away. Until that is, it becomes gaunt and ready to be fed again. We indulge it, then shelf it and the cycle continues. Indulge. Shelf. Indulge. Shelf. Indulge. Self. We do this until we eventually get to a point of feeling utterly unfulfilled.

This agitation of the mind is what is referred to as that nagging thought. It happens when ambition is not followed by action. It’s the feeling that either propels us to do something about it or dig out the ice-cream from the freezer.

Let’s cut to the case. We see it, we want it but what would it actually take for us to make it happen and see it through to fruition?

Take the run. And jump

We create loose promises to ourselves and do you know why? It’s a clean way of getting high. We say we are going to show up for ourselves and start planning the trip, go out and buy those hiking boots, that suitcase but next week. It feels great at the moment; we are taking action we think. However, as with most BS, the feel-good factor doesn’t last long.

Perhaps we fear failure? Swaying from societal norms would be uncomfortable, we think to ourselves. Not living up to the expectations of friends and family is a big one too. It is different for us all. However, what isn’t different, rather, what is exactly the same, is the need to rethink how we view our own identity.

What we are as people right now, today, how we show up in the world and how we choose to spend time does not need to determine our route of tomorrow. We can make things happen, but only if we grasp our nagging thought and find a way to make it happen.

Take the run. And jump.

Need some more inspiration? Check here to find out what five lessons Anna Carrasco Linares learnt in five different countries.

Text: Sara-Jane Vanstone, picture © Anna Carrasco Linares