“What a Simple Wave From a Stranger Taught Me About Life"









It was somewhere between the desert dust and the endless stretch of highway that it hit me.

I wasn't chasing places; I was chasing presence.

And I had been doing it all backwards. At times, stressing too much, feeling overwhelmed with weather challenges, how many miles to go, gas station locations and all the rest! 

Riding co-pilot on the back of our motorcycle, with my husband on a journey of a lifetime, through the morning desert heat, I looked to my right and there beside us, in the middle of nowhere was a freight train making its way to its destination, just like us.

I could see the train driver one arm resting outside the window, as he made his way along the tracks. As I wondered about his life driving that train, which is something I often do a lot of while riding on the back of the bike, (contemplate life!), I gave the driver a wave, not sure if he'd even seen us and not expecting him to wave back, but to my delight, he gave me a friendly wave from his window.

Such a simple thing, a wave from a stranger, but I think the thing about it that had meaning for me, was the train driver and I were going different places in different ways, in such a vast land, but we still were able to connect over a friendly wave. 

It was a nod to adventure, a nod to feeling seen and a nod to why we were travelling.

The moment seemed to dissolve any worry and brought me back into the current moment and to remember my why for taking on such a big journey.

 To capture experiences like these, to feel life in the moment and live forward and fully.

I felt the train driver saw us in our freedom as I saw him in his.

 Vastly different, but still the same in many ways.

I was riding high with the wind, present in the freedom of the moment, it was electric, a simple moment to capture and remember.

An experience to collect!

I felt alive and this was a reminder of why we wanted to chase adventure, the simple moments like these, that can't always be put into words, that can't always be brought but are held in your memory forever.

I wish you well on your adventures wherever they may be for you, and may you capture many moments both large and small to relive many times over.

Happy Adventuring
Claudine x

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