Travel + Freedom E-Book

Jan Wolter

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 106

Beschreibung

This book within the series Travel. Learn. Grow offers an insight into the travelers heart of change. A journey across islands, continents & oceans, on foot, bicycles, in a RV, alone or in community, searching the Absolute Truth. We encounter a nature, a stunning and yet vulnerable side of life. We face the people of a world in distress & happiness. We write and travel on. 'I'm still searching for enlightenment...', he answered with an open heart but a lost soul as his eyes are hanging with the drugged disease of mind. He started to smoke. 'You will find it, One day.' One day we have to go on a travel for self-realization, what are you waiting for? Life is made for a higher experience. Down by the river, we hold on to embrace nature's temple Low in the Valley, fiery-red, we came to walk upon ancient ground's sample of what it was like to step Into a sanctuary, peacefully still only reality through natures will so majestic, so pure and Zion; But then. They kill the void, the equanimity to spill We are personalities and this makes this book so special: the variegated characters of the worlds people.

Leseprobe

Travel. Learn. Grow.

A story of Freedom based on travel journals & insights

© Copyrights Jan Wolter (Yaśomatinandana Dāsa) 2023

Further (free) readings:

Soul Searching

Travel Learn Grow

Where We Will Wonder

Overall Balance

Homecoming

Peace Love Union

Eternal Journey

Blissful Bonds

Be Bliss

Minimalism

Green Living

Atmarama

Spiritual Traveler

On Apple Books, epubli.de, Amazon etc.



Dedication

With all my heart, I dedicate this book to my family bodily & spiritual, especially my dear Mother & Father.

To Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami and the whole Parampara.

To Phil & the travel friends.

Foreword

This story was written in the period of radical self-discovery. When I finished school with almost 20 I felt ready for change, radical change.

A transformation took place, geographically and also personally, as I got myself a visa, a ticket and a permanent mindset to travel & explore. That was no easy for all of us, but we made it.

I held the visa in my hand and was ready to go abroad, stepping into a plane & discovering a new Self. A Self with a capital ‘S’ meaning the soul, the ultimate part and parcel of God.

It slowly became a divine quest, a resurrection of a spiritual way of life including a mindset of Freedom, Peace, Love & Unity.

Actually, freedom means to find God in peace, love & unity. That is also confirmed in the scriptures of the world:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Peace formula according to Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-Gitā As it is, 5.29)

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

(UN Declaration of Human Rights)

Thus, this experience of a single traveler can reflect the human longing for freedom, on the truthful path of peace, love and unity.

The publishing Author

A story of Freedom

Hey Obie,

good to hear from you, I’m in San Francisco right now, still travelling around with no money. I will keep my promise, even though I think money is just a band aid to sustain you in there. I would rather try my best and help you to get your freedom.

Can I ask you some question?

Why are you exactly in there? Where would you go when you could? Why won’t they let you out? Do you even want to get out?

I want to try to understand your situation better to help you get out of there (if you want).

Do you accept my help, even though now it might not be financial?

I wish you all the best…

Freedom

I look back, we take off and the sun slowly shines its light reflecting on the cell tower of the prison. What a place, so much darkness and tension I feel inside, outside nature takes over, flowers are blooming, birds are nesting in trees and everything seems just like an old castle.

Fort Alcatraz. I could go back inside, however the peacefulness of the outer space takes over.

I feel responsibility. I tell Lawrence, one of my fellow cyclists I met again straight after crossing the Golden Gate bridge.

‚Can I tell you a story?‘, I ask him in the hope he was ready for a longer one. Are YOU ready?

Exactly one year ago I was traveling through the Bahamas, and had a couple of days pre-planned at a surf camp.

I flew into Nassau, Paradise Island, the main Island of Bahamas’ 700 islands meeting some fascinating people and a funky band at the airport.

How long are you staying the border officer asks. Well, I got a couple days booked and eventually I want to catch the ferry from Freeport to Miami from where I have a flight booked back to Vancouver, Canada.

The officer looked at me, uncertainly agreed and stamped my passport, however I didn’t even look inside, so happy to be in Paradise.

In the plane to Eleuthera, a beautiful island with one highway, dividing Caribbean and Atlantic Sea, I met John from Canada, a real estate agent who is more than welcoming, handing me his business card to invite me to his house.

I spent the first days surfing, what an experience, Tom my mentor is an island angel with golden curly hair and a passion.

After the surf ended I contact John.

We parted, we ate seafood and we spend time with so many locals and visitors. Most memorably: Jon and Irene.

Jon, Bahamian fisherman who co-owned a bar on the Atlantic beach. Irene, Austrian real estate business woman who sought time to stress out in Paradise. We became friends and Jon invited me to meet his best friend.

We are chilling at his bar, sun downer, Jon asked me:

‚Hey, can I introduce you to my dog, Papa?‘ Sure.

‚Hey Papa…‘

Standing up after introduction I remember exactly how Jon looked into my face and screamed: FUCK, FUUUUCK! Papa you stupid dog! CLAP! He pushed Papa away. Irene heard it and asked what has happened and Jon answered: “The dog bit him…”

We rushed into the hospital, the nose bleeding like crazy.

We sat in the car on the way through the dark night, no illumination on the streets, I was more concerned about dying in a car crash than my stuffy red nose.

The doctor was smiling, he seemed to be a joyful fellow looking at me, looking at Jon he slowly shook his head laughing.

I looked at him, ‚what, have you never seen a traveler with half a nose?‘

“It’s not that bad”, he answered, maybe if we find the piece of nose we can… he started to laugh again, it is just a little flap missing.

I was content… but what is a flap?

Flip-Flop-Flap,

my nose a GAP.

I breathe.

Bahamas Travel they said, sharks they said, but maybe I come up with a story.

The Doctor chuckled and departed open-heartedly.

After I got vaccinated and the nose got taped, we all laughed. What the hell just happened I thought. What will Mama think? Maybe I tell Papa a story of a shark…

Another 2 days pass, we party, eat more seafood and Jon read off every wish from my lips…

This week was probably the most fun, eventful and crazy I ever had, not to mention that I was missing a flap on my nose that never could be found.

Week two started and I continue to make my way over 3 different islands hitchhiking to Freeport to catch a boot to the US. Sounds so simple, right?

It actually was, but with half a nose people asked: ‚Are you crazy?‘ I heard that often, but maybe.

Maybe the people that made this travel possible are kind and wonderful in nature. So, maybe I’m still crazy - just simple living.

In general I love people; fisherman, builders and people from All-day, Love in there hearts I meet. Hitchhiking up the islands, sleeping on beaches, enjoying the warmth and the sun, until I’m 20 kilometer in front of Freeport.

Missing some sleep and clean clothes I got up early, positioning myself on the side of the street and there you go, my next ride came from the wrong direction.

The black SUV turned around, window going down, a woman in black shades asking: ‘What are you doing out here?’

‚I try to get to Freeport to catch a ferry to Miami from where my flight goes, can you give me a ride?‘

She kinda mesmerized, loaded up my backpack and let me sit on the passenger seat, that’s nice of her.

The woman driving got out making a phone call while I’m sitting in the car with this black suited woman. Her questions were so precise, she must have been a lawyer… she was.

She noticed my articulation and asked where I’m from and asked what I do. We talked and I tell her my story, everything, how I graduated, went off traveling in Canada and now landed here to enjoy some sun before it gets snowy and cold in Canada.

The driver got in. FREEPORT, let’s go!

We sit in the car and I just know… there is something coming.

A weird quietness came up, I enjoyed the view and drive.

Maybe it is all just a dream, in a paradise land, in a good life.

I realized that I am living a dream, until the dream caught me and put the shackles on me.

We made it into town, to the governmental office of the city where they found out that I overstayed my visa for a couple days. I got locked into a cell, later deported to a tiny city prison and eventually a refugee camp.

The trip completely transformed into a crisis.

This whole story is so unbelievably screwed up, twisted and full of ridicule it deserves its own book.

But with people now thinking (and so was Lawrence): “WHAT?” I tell you; I was in a refugee camp with 50 other people from Cuba, Venezuela, all over the Caribbeans, Africa with no access to clean drinking water and a handful of things happening which all eventually shaped my future ground deep.

The people in there were fascinating, everybody with a unique story trying to live a freer life in harmony with family and friends. Those people were no criminals, those people were victims of our system that forced obedience to our FREE SPIRIT.

We walked through the magnificent remainders of Alcatraz, Lawrence still on my side, listening to the story and feeling the incredible power of the people.

‚Now, I’m curious, what happened in the refugee camp?‘

We look at each other and I breathe.

In a camp like this people come not deliberately, not from their free will, nor from their vision of a free life.

Here every single one is in because they are envisioning freedom of movement, liberty of speech, boundlessness in growth, whatever it means to be a Life.

How can you be ALIVE in a 50 by 50 meters square with barbed wired fences, a stable turned into a sleeping room, a washing with no drinkable water and just a couple of meters between the stable and fence for a walk. 50 people, one square, and three small meals a day.

How I got in by law of the governments was just ridiculous, how you experience the Law of Humanity is truthful. I arrived and I was welcomed.

Firstly interested in the nose and the story behind it, I was the only of my “German” kind, but able to communicate with hands and Wuff Wuff, I came to the essence.

The Heart of this camp is the community. Eating the food together, coming to play domino, cleaning, bargaining, walking and planning how to get outside.

The story of my nose helped me to be quickly recognized as ‚someone who went through shit’, because I liked to listen I came closer to every One of the camp inmates just in a few days.

As there was no drinkable water inside the camp we actually had to buy water. So a little market based around the trade of goods came to be. Water, Cigarettes, extra food or maybe some letters and a book were coming through the soldiers from the outside.

So, I was sitting on my bed, just praying for good fortune over a Psalm a friend gave to me,

and there was nothing I could afford a water with, however for everything was taken care of.

“Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.”

(Psalm 68:18)

‚Lamar left the camp this morning to go back home and left 10 coins for you to get water or tea.‘

I looked at him with a wondrous smile, “what a brother”, what a legend, my prayer had been heard.

The ongoing time I sat on the entrance of this little world community and listened to a story of a Saudi, who actually was a prince in his country, coming to the Caribbeans, he is just a refugee.

Because I listened, I heard that he is connected over fax to the office. I asked for this fax number and he gave it forth as my ears closed, my smile opened and I smelled freedom.

Another friend was an invalid from Nigeria who was so nice to grant me a phone and internet access.

I wrote to my bodily father.

Dear Dad,

I’m sitting in a refugee camp and don’t know how to get out of here, please help.

May be you can send a home flight ticket to this number.

I gave him the number of the office, the mail was received and everything was booked.

Wolter, Jan, you are getting out of here in two days, you received a flight ticket.

My heart started to beat in excitement, I breathed through.