
Watercolor, ink and color pencil on paper, 11.7 x 8.3 in.
Wake up. Go to school. Return home. Practice piano. Do homework. Go to sleep.
This was my weekday routine all through elementary school. Every school term passed in the same way, year after year.
Weekends promised something different, and yet when Saturday evenings came round, my family would drive ten minutes to the mall near our home, order the same dishes at the same restaurant, then go to the supermarket to buy the same groceries, and drive back home.
Each week seemed to take forever to pass, and I always looked forward to that car ride home.
I’d look out of the window, and disappear into my imagination of being on a neverending journey to some faraway place. The sky was dark and the moon shone overhead, seeming to follow us. I’d gaze at the moon as though it was my companion on these adventures in magical lands, as I visited castles in the clouds, sailed towards the open sea, and embarked on quests to find hidden treasure.
And as the car pulled into the winding road that led us back home, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness. Alas the adventure always came to an end. And the ending was always the return to the same home, to the same routine of the same activities, the same people, the same quarrels, the same TV shows, the same everything…
I love my family and the home I grew up in, but deep down inside there was always a part of me longing for more, seeking for more, and I always felt I was yearning for something I couldn’t quite get if I continued to stay in this one place where everything was always the same.
If you can relate to this, you’re probably a seeker like me.
Seekers yearn for new experiences, the freedom to explore, and we’re constantly wondering if the grass is greener somewhere else.
Like Moana staring at the horizon from the safety of her island, wondering what’s beyond that line that calls her, who she truly is, and how far she’ll go…
Every new place I visit fills me with a sense of excitement, the possibility of adventure awaiting around the bend – new sights to visit, new friends to meet, and new memories to make.
And while I’ve gone on vacations in many cities before, my travels for 5.5 months in Europe last year were the closest to the kind of nomadic life I want to lead – exploring what’s out there while making art inspired by my experiences.
What’s that one place in the world you’ve always wanted to visit or explore?
Share in the comments!