Be open

I've been thinking a lot lately about the great friends that I have made while on this trail. Not only in New Zealand, but also at home. I've had several friends comment to me that this blog has let them get to know me more deeply than they had been able to before. I have deepened many relationships at home simply by leaving. I think a main reason for this is that while I have been in New Zealand I have made a conscious effort to be more open with myself and others. I talk more plainly about who I am and where I am from with those around me. As a result, I have forged and strengthened many friendships here.

It is easy to be open while travelling, the people you meet you often leave soon thereafter and can avoid contacting ever again. It is a great place to practice. I have found with my openness that it is almost always mirrored. People want to share, people need to share. People are afraid to share though. Travelling gives us a safety net of an ethereal nomadic existence void of commitment. But what it has shown me is how important being open is. 

I stopped posting narrative blogs and started posting more intellectual blogs because every time I posted my thoughts, I recieved feedback on them. It was great to hear ideas from people that I hadn't heard from in a while as well as the people that I thought about whole writing them. It felt good to be open about what was in my mind, and as a result I got closer with many of my friends. It hasn't been easy posting things like this, but I am incredibly grateful that I have been. It is scary to put yourself out there, but it is the only way to be understood. I encourage all of us to be more open with our thoughts. Being open carries with it vulnerabilities. Embrace them. We are all vulnerable, there is no need to hide it.

We can only love by being open. Openness makes us vulnerable. The more deeply we love, the more open we can be. To truly give of yourself to someone requires you to give them access to your grief, your sorrow, your fear, and your loneliness. Only then can you experience their love. Only then can you show them your love. Talk to someone you love today. Don't be afraid to be afraid. Be open. 

Thanks to everyone who reads my ramblings, I'll post more of a status and pretty pictures update soon(TM)