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Poet for Hire

I have always wanted to travel; I just assumed I never would.

Traveling, to me, was like my secret dream of being a poet: something entirely unrealistic. After all, who has time to travel? And who in their right mind would try to make it as a poet?

But on the way back to our flat from the Globe Theatre, on a study abroad I never thought I’d go on, we passed a man on a bridge. He sat at a small table that held a typewriter and a sign: "poet for hire, pay what you want."

This man was living my dream. He was traveling all over the UK writing poetry. And he was making a living doing it.

Even two years later, I think of him often. He reminded me of this: there will never be a perfect time for anything. You’ll probably never wake up one day and think, “Wow, it’s the day I’ve been waiting for! Time to move across the country!” So when life presents opportunities to go new places and try new things, take them. Traveling shouldn’t be an ultimate goal for “one day”; it should be part of the journey that gets you to “one day.”

So on a weekend getaway to Montana, spend a summer Airbnb hopping.

You’ll learn things about yourself when you do.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll even become a poet.

Man sitting outside using a typewriter.
Photo by Leonardo Baldissara on Unsplash