4/28/09
Recently I was couchsurfing with my friend Rafael in Brussels and we had a great conversation about Tarot cards. One of the reasons we hit it off, I think, is because of a mutual appreciation for the zero card in the deck. In France it is called Le Mat, in some decks it is called The Vagabond, but in most decks I’ve used it’s been called The Fool.
I’m glad that we were able to have the conversation as it makes life much easier for me to comprehend right at this moment. I’ll explain why in a second, but first I have to tell you why this card has always resonated with me.
The tarot deck, to me, is the story of a journey and that journey is life. All of the cards represent different situations, feelings, or people we encounter along that journey and when they are presented in a certain way, they can bring great insight into what it is that our lives need or don’t need at any given time.
The Fool is the person setting out on the journey. It represents taking a step into the unknown. The first deck I ever used showed a young guy taking a walk and lifting his foot for the next step while he gazed up at the clouds above. Because he is so intent on the beauty above, he doesn’t notice that his next step will take him off a cliff. Slightly below the cliff is a cloud that obscures what will happen when he takes the fateful step. I’ve always seen this as being multiple possibilities. Maybe he steps off the cliff and dies, maybe the cloud actually supports his weight and he goes on a journey to the sky he is looking at, maybe the cliff is only a small fall, maybe there is water underneath that takes him to another land…the possibilities are endless.
The point of all of this is that if you don’t take a childlike view of the world, ignore the dangers, and take that first fateful step, you will never know. And sometimes, like the beauty of the sky above, we have to be tricked into taking that fateful step and we have to go for it.
Why am I glad to have this inspiration right now? Easy. I’m a fool.
A friend told me about a job that sounded dreamlike. It was urgent that I act quickly. I took the step. I spent my tiny reserves of cash to bring myself to the job. Or as close to the job as my cash would get me.
And today I found out that there is no job and hasn’t been for several weeks.
Lofl.
So what do I do now? Do I cry and moan and bitch and blame my friend? Do I simply ignore the tickets, write off the money, and try to find something here in Morocco?
I take the step that’s what. I’m a fool and I have no idea what lies ahead of me on this journey, but I’ve already lifted my proverbial foot and even though I see the cliff, I’m definitely going to step off of it.
So…things are only starting to get interesting.
4/28/09
Well, I am back in Sefrou and decided to accept the job in Alaska. So I used what was left of my cash to book tickets (I’ll explain more about this in the future) and then I found out that actually, I hadn’ t been offered the job yet, just the chance to apply for it! So I’ve applied for it and have spent all my money to get there by June 1st. I have a ticket coming back on September 30th though…so that is a comfort at least.
These are the tickets and stubs from the first part of my journey…Europe to Morocco part 1…
Here is the crazy thing. To get from Morocco to North America…I didn’t find less than $1200 one way. The cheapest way to get to North America from Africa or Europe that I could find was the following:
Train from Fez to Casablanca. Easyjet to Madrid. (Madrid to Frankfurt not figured out yet) Frankfurt to Dublin ($20 with Ryanair), and Dublin to Quebec City, Canada with Continental with a return in September. All of that was just about $500 U.S.
These are a few of the maps from a few of the cities I’ve visited….
So with any luck, I will be couchsurfing along the way but in the meantime, I’m happy to be back in Sefrou with Hanane and her family and all our friends here. I leave on May 12 for Casa and then onto the rest of the journey. Have applied for the job in Alaska and will hopefully get it, but if not, as the saying goes, the only thing harder than making a fortune in Alaska is keeping one…so something will work out.
As I say, I submit myself to the will of God in these matters.
Vago Damitio is the Vagabond in Chief. He is also a writer, blogger, traveler, adventurer and teacher. He has spent his life mastering how to have incredible adventures on minuscule budgets. Someday he hopes to have the option of using gigantic budgets for miniscule adventures.
