ITHACA

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,

pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.

The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.

That the summer mornings are many, when,

with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;

visit many Egyptian cities,

to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.

Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

I read this poem in the front of "The Zahir" book, a novel by Paolo Coelho, i think I've read it before, I think one of my friend have already posted somewhere, but anyhow I will still put it here as this poem is so encouraging. I interpret Itacha as our dream, vision, something we long and hope for, our goal, objectives, reason of living. Okay, agak lebay yaaa. But yeah, I believe that it is important to have a dream, It keeps you alive and makes your life has a purpose, and no matter how stupid, simple, small, insignificant your dream might look like, just go for it, you'll never know what you're gonna get.

I remember the movie I watched by myself, (I know, pathetic, whatever), Tangled, where the protagonist, Rapunzel has very simple wish / dream, she wants to see the lights which appear every night on her birthday, where she saw it from the window of the tower, that's it, and she'll die as happy woman. Well, she finally did something to make it happen, she's out of her comfort zone, taking risks, did something she never imagined before for the sake of reaching something she'd been wished for. With such a simple dream, in the end she finally not only see the lights, she found her parents and a boyfriend, well its a quite a lot of bonus, huh? I know it's only a fairy tale but it could happen, you'll never know :)