Nomads usually walk in groups following their flock and carrying their wealth upon their person, as seen in the beautiful Bedouin jewelry. A vertical trek is transhumance, the seasonal long walk begins when the weather turns and the grazing grounds are empty, near overgrazing, near desertification, but if left alone for a while these lands will grow back into the abundance of nourishment. This defines the moment when the place of departure is revisited.
So it is also for the lone nomad. After a while a place can no longer provide sustenance and for fear of never again feeling full and at ease in that place, the nomad moves to another transient home. There is no escapism in the seasonal or cyclical wandering which is no tourism. More time needs to be spend than just a short get away break. Nomadism is a way of being. Sometimes, sadly one isn’t there when needed for friends and family. People can’t keep track of where one is, so there is also some loneliness. But with the best part of your life, time and place doesn’t matter too much. All-important people become arrivals with embraces and always sad goodbyes.
I too shall be on the road again taking my flock of two dogs with me and carrying my wealth as a laptop. From a bustling city I am going to a monochromatic desert. I’ll post again when I have a connection.
Clowns from Amsterdam
11 years ago
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