The Magellan Instinct

One man’s backyard is another man’s dream destination.

This phrase follows us from backyard to backyard, where the only thing truly different is our presence. When we travel we put ourselves into situations where we no longer enjoy the confidence of certainty. Unlike the feeling grown from understanding our environment throroughly, we find ourselves lost, like children, with the accompanying child-like fascination of the new, while grappling with the transposed familiar. We travel not just to learn, but to escape the comfort of the known, the illusion of control.

In the beginning, everything is meaningful. Every smell and taste, every voice and face. The spectrum of countinence, the aroma of the villages, the designs of ancient architecture, these conjure a persistent “why?” The world is new, even though many of the physical details – the proverbial essence of the travel experience – are often the same. Same sun and moon, same concrete and tourist traps, same small talk. Yet similar or unexpected, each experience remains intimately captivating.

Choosing to circumnavigate the planet evokes the soul of the explorer. One where the focus of the trip is planetary. It is an instinct that foregoes digging deep into the character of any one culture or place, striving instead to carry a torch through many lands in an effort to glimpse the big picture.

We will be building this site as we move along and find time during our journey and after our return. Of course, no website, blog, video or photo gallery can capture the essence of around-the-world travel the way it is lived. All the sensations, within and without, highs and lows -- all shape memory in a way that must be felt. Felt in the gut, in the feet, in the hands and heart. While not every day is filled with epiphany, each morning reliably offers the promise of an adventure. Most days we accept the challenge, but not always. It is also important to have days to reflect and share, both for ourselves and for others who may find some inspiration.

For example, one thing we have learned already is that this type of travel is less about the sights and sounds, tastes and smells, and more about perspectives picked up and left behind. Another lesson is that embarking on long-term travel is less about planning and more about coping with change. There will be many others.

Thank you for visiting and connecting your curiousity with ours.

Michael and Rebecca