Travelling Thoughts

They say “consistency is key,” but for me, consistency is just an overly fancy word for a slow-motion snooze fest that annoys me to the Ninth Circle of Hell and back.

If there is one thing that truly bores me—no, scares me—it’s the 9-to-5 life. The “Groundhog Day” loop of the same commute, the same grey cubicle, or the same patients at the same ward year after year, and the same pre-packaged sandwich. To me, routine isn’t comfort; it’s a cage masked to look perfect and needed.

That fear of the mundane is exactly what keeps me awake (and maybe why I’m a nurse—nothing says “not a 9-to-5” like a double shift on a hospital ward). But even outside the hospital, I’m constantly looking for the “Exit” sign—from the ordinary.

The Escape Plan(s)

When my wife and I aren’t navigating the real-world chaos that we call life, we’re keeping busy building worlds of our own. Boredom doesn’t stand a chance against:

• Poodlies (@Etsy): This isn’t just another online shop; it’s a travel diary. Every piece of wall art we sell started as a photo from our own adventures. From the quiet streets of the whitewashed villages of Andalucia to the vast horizons we’ve chased, we’ve turned our “Open Road” memories into something you can hang on your wall to motivate yourself, or to remind you that world is bigger than the everyday life.
• Open Road Tales (@YouTube): Our way of proving that the world is too big to stay in one zip code. We document our journeys to remind ourselves (and you!) that there’s always something new around the bend. It would be grand if you gave our channel a follow! Do it today.
• HaveStories.com: This blog. My digital canvas where I get to process the world, one post at a time.

However, like many things in life, escaping the mundane isn’t always free (unfortunately, the “Open Road” has quite a few toll booths). That’s where our Buy Me A Coffee comes in.

It’s not just a donation; it’s a “Get Out of Boredom Free” card. Whether it’s helping us reach the next destination for the channel or supporting the creative grind, every cup helps us stay away from the grey life. And while it might not count as Zakat, it definitely counts as a “good deed” for the preservation of my sanity!

What bores me? The same. What excites me? The next.