Sep
29

What happens when I people watch.

This is a direct entry from my journal. I literally copied it word for word. I’m sharing it because I feel like it encompasses my few days traveling through Poland well. Hope you enjoy and share your thoughts about my crazy thoughts in the comments below.

——

I’m sitting here in a 1st class fast train going from Warsaw to Krakow in Poland. I’m in Poland… didn’t even have that in my plans when I left home over 7 months ago. I can’t even believe I’m in first class. I’m never 1st class anything. Only reason I am now is because I got a first class Eurail pass sponsored for being part of the #mygaypride campaign two of my blogging friends started. It’s actually very nice to be a part of that campaign. So yeah one of the perks was this and it’s actually quite nice.

So anyway as I sit here and look out the window I see fields of green and a never ending line of trees and above it all is the big blue sky. When I see the big blue sky like that it always reminds me of the big blue sky in Texas. Which takes me to what I’ve been thinking. Crazy that we are just one big world… like we are one, living under the same big sky and the same one sun shinning on us.

Castle, Warsaw Poland

—View of old town Warsaw through the doors of the Royal Castle.—

Yesterday I walked into the Royal Castle of Warsaw because they had an exhibit on the short history of the Cold War and I’ll be honest I don’t know much about the Cold War. I’ve been thinking I need to read a book about it, but then I’m like if I do that I should read a book about World War I & II so I can then better understand what got us there in the first place. I think I know the basics about it. That the world powers struggled to reign supreme after WWII & used nuclear weapons to make sure it all stayed even because no one would use one again. So was to keep a balance, but in the mean times other countries were pawns in the grand scheme of things. Yeah something like that or may be not.

The exhibit had many iconic photos on display. Like the burning girl in Vietnam, 1st man on the moon, Che dead, the Berlin Wall falling down, the man standing against the tanks in Beijing and many more. Every time I see iconic photos I think how I’d love to take an iconic photo one day. The closest I’ve ever come to that is the photo of the one man standing in Tahrir Square during the 1st anniversary of the revolution, but I’m not with a big media company to get the push. Oh well that’s still my favorite photo I’ve taken on the road. So anyway that exhibit left me with a million thoughts running through mind.

Balloon Man

—This is what I imagine my thoughts would look like if they were visible.—

I walked out and sat in the big square that’s outside. I saw a man selling balloons, another man making huge bubbles and little children chasing them. I saw people walking in every direction. I just started people watching and thinking…

“What is their story?”
“Where do they come from?”
“What do they do for a living?”
“How does the world allow us to all be on it for this moment in time?”

“I’m here sitting and somewhere in another town someone may doing the same, yet in another town someone may be going through the best day of their life or the worst.”

“I am free as a bird and yet know millions aren’t.”

“How is that I got here?”
“Why am I here?”
“Why isn’t he free?”
“Why can’t he be here with me?”
“Why don’t more people realize we are all pawns to the elite few who are actually running the world?”

It’s crazy that the more I travel the more I learn about the places I visit and what is crazy is just about everywhere I go recent or old it’s been affected by wars, civil wars, revolutions, occupations, invasion and all types. In all these places it’s the innocent citizens of the country who end up dead at the orders of the elite. Look at what is happening around us today and in most places war is happening it’s either over religion or for the interest of the elite few in the worlds most powerful countries for the resources they will get out of them or can. I just don’t get why it happens and why we can’t just all stop all wars and live in peace. Ahhhhh now I sound like a hippie and I’m actually laughing. Maybe I was one in my past life.

You know while I was home and went to General Teran, Mexico for a day I stopped by and visited my grandfather. He asked me why I travel and I told him because it’s beautiful to see how the rest of the world lives and how beautiful Earth really is from one corner to the other. He said,

“You know that’s nice, but you realize we all live under the same sky with the same sun shinning during the day and the same moon at night and in the end of the day just want to live a peaceful happy life. I’m one of the lucky ones who has been able to do that.”

That small conversation has been in my head ever since because it’s something I’ve already known and realize it the more I travel. It’s the fucking truth, we are all the same and just about every place I visit is the same too. I’ve seen a man selling balloons in Zacatecas, La Paz, Cairo, Barcelona and just about every city or town that has a square. I’ve seen people with nothing be happier than people I know who have everything. I’ve seen so much in my travels and yes we are all the same. Everyone is just trying to make a living one way or another to survivie another day and in the mean time be happy. The only difference is in some places it’s harder than others. I was reminded about that during my fling in Paraty, Brazil, living with a family in the country side of Paraguay and every day because I am in love with an Egyptian. So yes we are the same but the struggles aren’t and that’s what blows my mind. I know it wasn’t luck for me to be living this life of travel. I’ve busted my ass to make this happen, but know it was luck that I was born in the USA and because of that can get a passport and travel the world. Where many don’t have it that easy.

Ahhh anyway I sat there just people watching and the million thoughts going through my mind. I’m also exhausted. I love what I am doing, but fuck I have not been in a single place for more than a few days at a time. This moving around often is killing me. In Europe I will keep moving fast because I have places to be and friends to see, but I’m changing speed of things in Asia. I can’t keep going like this. I’m starting to think I need a break and yeah Houston didn’t count and it’s crazy I’ve only been on the road for about 7 months. Anyway I am happy so that’s what counts. Yeah I have too much on my mind and have no clue what I am doing with my life, but I’m all good with where I’m at today. That’s what counts right? Shit hope this made some sense…

——

As I reread my journal entry I still believe these thoughts are true. I don’t think most people like to hear that we are all the same. I mean I understand that each of us is unique and that’s the truth, but at the end of the day we are all the same. It’s hard to grasp that because at the end of the day the world is made up of over 7 billion people. Lets not go there though, because when I start thinking about the world having over 7 billion people my thoughts get even crazier. Like how does the world even function? I shared this journal entry because it’s full of some random honest thoughts I have been having for a while. Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts on the thoughts I shared? Do you ever have these thoughts when you sit somewhere and people watch? Do you also agree we are all in a way the same?

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Comments

  1. Your grandfather sounds like a very content man, my father is also like that, he loves his home town and does not see the point of exploring other places, he is happy. You are so right that people are in essence the same, and most people are good. It is a great shame about the wars and so sad for the people who have to leave their homes, such as what is happening with the refugees fleeing their homes for a safer place to live. We are very lucky to have freedom and security. Thanks for sharing your thoughts:)
    Gilda Baxter recently posted..Zakynthos, Greece – A Role Reversal, the Daughter Becomes the Mother

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Yeah Gilda, he is a very content man. He’s a man though that has worked his entire life and still working to this day. Yeah it’s crazy some of the situations other have to go through. I agree with you we are lucky to have the freedom and security that was have while others just don’t. It’s crazy how in one part of the world that is possible and in others its just not. Glad you enjoyed my thoughts and thanks for taking the time to comment.

  2. Totally, I’ve often had thoughts along the same lines, specially while travelling long-ish term.

    We’re all roughly the same, and want pretty much the same things no matter where we’re born and raised. I just wish we all kept that in mind all the time.

    Yes, there are cultural differences, and societies are sometimes at different stages in their journey, but at the end of the day, we have a lot in common. How could we not? We all share over 99% of our DNA.

    I know I’m sometimes guilty of losing that perspective, which is why I love travelling, as it never fails to recenter my world view.
    Fernando recently posted..First-time Travel to India: Lost in the Streets of Jaipur

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Glad I am not alone Fernando with these thoughts. It’s interesting how fast we do lose that perspective once we are home but on the road we see it all the time. It’s a good thing to keep in mind and wish more people did. Think we would have more compassion for one an other. Especially with people going through crazy times that are out of their control.

  3. Thanks for sharing your random thoughts, Jaime! Hippie or not, I agree with you that it would be so much better if we could just get rid of war and all the horrible sh*t and just be one peaceful world. Also, that photo you referred to from Cairo is my favorite of yours too. You’re a great photographer.
    Ali recently posted..Copenhagen Food Tour Review

  4. I’m new to your blog site – “New” meaning, stumbled to it while googling travel mexico. Anyway, I have started reading your blog from your very first entry up to March 2014. I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s been sort of my entertainment at work especially working on my cubicle 8 hrs a day, as I follow your adventures. A few times, i was caught laughing out loud (chicken bus, naked in boracay, among others) and there’s a lot of entries esp. after you came back from your first RTW tour that were so heartwarming and heartwrenching (Cairo boy love story and feeling lost after you came back), I caught myself taking a deep breath so as not to get too emotional. Your writing is so powerful and honest. I actually created a blog 10 min ago because you inspire me. Hopefully and eventually, maybe get the nerves to travel far and long like what you’re doing…. OK, going back to continue reading your Apr 2014 onwards…
    Peace, Dan from L.A.

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Wow Dan, your comment just made my day. Thank you so much for all your kind words. I am so happy to hear you are enjoying my blog. Welcome along my crazy journey. It hasn’t been an easy one but it’s been amazing with all its ups and downs. As I tell everyone if you need anything and you think I can help you with anything just let me know and I will if I can. Ahh the stories you mentioned brought back so many memories. Crazy I have been writing on here over 5 years. Many more stories to share.

  5. I was touched by your entry. It made me think twice also. I already asked myself before the same questions you asked to yourself. It made me wonder same as you do. But I agree, at the end of the line, we are still under the same sun 🙂
    Marie recently posted..Inspiration Friday ~ Crete, Greece’s Mythological City

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Glad I am not alone Marie, with these random thoughts and thinking we are all the same in the end under the same big sun.

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