Traveling in Search of the Present

Living in the present moment? It seems so simple, yet... It was during my travels that I became aware of this dimension: the present. To live, to feel, to be here and now. A lesson begun on the roads of the world...

Travel is a school. A school where everyone can improvise as both student and teacher. No one claims to know everything, and everyone has something to share and pass on. Sometimes these teachers of the road are people met by chance along the way: locals from distant lands or travelers from our continent, country, or region (sometimes we have to go far to meet our neighbor!).

And at times, the teacher is none other than the moment itself. The image that unfolds before our eyes: the play of light, the landscape, the scene that unfolds around us and envelops us. Then comes this profound feeling of being part of a whole, of being grounded on earth, connected to the sky, linked to people as well as to trees. And this teacher, the moment, its greatest lesson is to live in the present.

True generosity towards the future consists in giving everything to the present. (Albert Camus)

In our daily lives, we are rarely in the present. Very often in a rush, our minds glimpse what is about to happen: in a few seconds, 3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 years. Soon, later, tomorrow, after... these words mark our daily reality. The word 'now' has almost no place. We live in the future.

Sometimes our frantic pace tires us out. We then retreat into a regressive position, back to the past. This is the moment of nostalgia: we unearth old memories, seek youth habits, open a photo album, and dream of the time when things were better... Before.

Do not look for the past, do not look for the future; the past has vanished, the future has not yet come. But observe here this object that is now. (Buddha)

Why this urge to move forward, this perpetual movement? Being still has become a luxury, even a sign of weakness. The right to laziness is but an illusion and only comes out of the drawer on the 7th day, and even then, because all the shops are closed; otherwise...

Man is a busy being. Wouldn't that ultimately be what sets us apart from animals, the essence of humanity? It's quite interesting to note that people who have experienced trauma need to regain that state of busyness, that routine where everything flows like well-loaded train cars. To do nothing is to make way for emptiness. And emptiness is anxiety-provoking. We start to think, to go in circles in our heads or in our living rooms, unsure of how to occupy our neurons and our ten fingers.

Man is both master and slave to his need for activity and his need to visualize tomorrow, needs that have their reasons for existing in the evolutionary plan of the species...

During an interview for the newspaper Le Monde, where I was questioned about the use of technology while traveling or, conversely, the need to disconnect completely and forget smartphones and the internet, I praised daydreaming. The kind that arrives unexpectedly because we were doing nothing. Precisely because we were doing nothing: we made space for it, we invited it... Doing nothing, dreaming while watching the landscapes pass by the window, is a first step towards reclaiming our thoughts and our time.

Dreaming in the present, stimulated by the passing landscapes, so that later, in our living rooms, we can close our eyes, breathe deeply, and wait for thought to awaken again. Imagination, creativity, awareness of our sensations and emotions: these are things that need care! They are not attributes we are either endowed with or not at birth. We all have them within us, in seed form, and it's up to us to plant them deeply within and let them grow, to exercise them like we train a muscle.

Neurologists assert that it is not natural for humans to live in the present moment. Our prefrontal cortex is always busy organizing things. We simultaneously process multiple pieces of information in our brain. It is quite natural, therefore, not to live in the present moment but to dive into thoughts oriented toward what comes next. Anticipating problems has allowed us to face certain dangers and improve our survival... but the limit of this dynamic is to forget about the present moment, even when the surrounding dangers do not justify being constantly turned toward the future.

Becoming aware of the present moment requires intensive training! Travel can trigger this epiphany, this awareness of our relationship with time and the world, and of the possibility of stopping the race, taking time to reflect and meditate.

Contemplating a landscape can be a first form of meditation, and those moments of happiness where we feel part of a whole is a first contact with the now.

Realizing that the only thing that truly exists is the here and now. Stopping the endless projection into the future and ruminating the past: only the present is real. Breathe deeply, look and feel the world around us, dive within in search of sensations, perceptions, and emotions... and decode the world in a new way, less cerebral and more whole. Learning to (re)discover ourselves, to welcome our emotions, to refocus on our true needs, to trust ourselves...

All of this is part of the journey to mindfulness! Certain forms of travel can encourage this awareness and this practice of meditation on our relationship with time and the world, this mindfulness, such as retreats (yoga, silence...). I have not yet experienced it, but perhaps one day... Everyone I know who has tried this kind of inner journey speaks of it as one of the most intense experiences of their lives.

By establishing ourselves in the present moment, we can see all the beauties and wonders that surround us. We can be happy simply by being aware of what is before our eyes. (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Of course, travel is not a miracle solution: one must be open and available for these changes to touch us. And of course, to develop this new contact with the world and with time, we must practice... even when the journey is over!

This requires adaptation: how do I continue at home, in my daily life, to practice an attitude that came spontaneously while traveling? How do I ultimately provoke what came naturally? There is no miracle recipe.

For me, transportation remains a privileged place for these moments of daydreaming, which are not quite the same as mindfulness but, in my eyes, allow for the development of similar skills.

Another attitude to test: set aside a moment for yourself, fixed and established for each day (for example, upon rising, going to bed, or coming home from work...) or spontaneously, at the risk of forgetting good intentions and no longer giving yourself the time and space to practice. This could be a moment to practice yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation... it's up to you to find an entry point that suits you, even if you need to evolve it later and try several.

And above all, forget the guilt of taking care of yourself! Taking care of yourself should be our foremost mission. By doing this, you are not being selfish, but rather acting sensibly. Just like the instruction on airplanes, in case of cabin depressurization, to first put on your oxygen mask before helping your neighbors, it is essential to take care of yourself before aiding others. And if this point does not convince you, remember that happiness and well-being are contagious, just like discomfort and anger... Emotions spread, and having a cheerful, grounded, and positive person in your surroundings is beneficial! So, take time for yourself and be that person!

Do not ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, then do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. (Howard Thurman)

The present moment felt while traveling allowed me to heal some wounds, to mourn my father, and to understand a little better who I am, what my needs and aspirations are. To also understand that the present is rich and only asks to be lived. Even when returning from travel, where the mind easily oscillates between nostalgia for the past journey and hope for future travels... Living in the present is the exercise of feeling good here and now, feeling rooted, connected, creative... and why not, happy?

The present moment has an advantage over all others: it is ours. (Charles Caleb Colton)

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