wanderer | The Wild Heart

I’ve taken the name Vagabond John but for the last 2 weeks that I’ve had that name/blog I haven’t honestly shed any light on future plans, or at least living up to the name. I wanted to take a second for you guys to get to know who John is before I explain some of my plans for you. My name is John Robert Bizzarro. I’ve lived about 5-10 miles from the city of Boston all of my life. I have a pretty average life. Filled with pretty extraordinary people.

My mother and father split when I was younger, around the age of 1. We didn’t have it easy but then again if we did I probably wouldn’t be writing this story that you’re about to read. My mother is my inspiration to live. she doesn’t believe in a lot of the things I do. But the values shes passed down to me are worth their weight in gold. I grew up in a shelter. It was my mother my sister Julia and I. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it could have been for my ma. (Yeah I call her ma) Being young and naive to anything but good or bad. Yummy or icky, how was I supposed to know about her going to school, working full time and raising two children by herself. All I remember was playing outside in the little plastic Playschool kitchen things with my sister eating gummy bears. I remember when we finally got our new apartment. Man it was great, there was even a park in the back yard! Life then wasn’t always cupcakes and unicorns then either.

As much as it sucked to watch my mothers boyfriends come and go like the seasons I can only now imagine how she must have felt. Alone, with two brats bills, going to school, and working. The one thing I remember she did have was amazing friends. They were always there for her and even us kids! They know who they are and I’m not at liberty to spill to many names over the internet 🙂 I can tell you with all honesty they were some of the best, most love, caring, crazy, bewitching, talented, and completely cool people I’ve ever met and still to this day have the incredible honor of keeping in touch with.

Asides from a few major life events like getting two broken legs to getting our house broken into a handful of times. To walking my mom down the isle at her wedding, life seems to be pretty normal. Well, as normal as any American family can hope for. Right? We have plenty of good times. Same goes for heartaches and bad tempers. But were all family, we’ve always stuck together.

I must admit I am feeling especially more sentimental partially because of mothers day tomorrow, and partially because of my plans I will be sharing with you in a little bit.

you know, family is something that’s always been important to me. Longing for this life style you realize you end up sacrificing a lot. Weather it’s friends, relationships, “Stuff”, or family.You will always have your family, but at the same time you won’t. It’s a conflicting thing to say but it’s never been more true. When you choose to be a vagabond, wanderer, nomad or what ever you call yourself, a huge amount of sacrifice goes into it. I think I’m ready though. Once I understood how much these people, my mother especially- sacrificed for me and my sister, I can could so do the same.

Comparing the two seems like comparing apples to oranges. But what I’m actually comparing is her strength, courage, and determination. Those core values have always been a part of me. I’ve witnessed them at an early age. It literally has grown on me and with me for the 20 something years I’ve been alive. Without that in my life, I don’t think I would have EVER come to this realization.

With my mothers grit determination and independence is where I give credit for my insatiable desire to travel. To challenge myself and live my life to the fullest. I want to be able to see things in this world that most of my family has never seen. I want to go to places you only read about or see in National Geographic. I want to taste the food, immerse myself in the culture. As I’ve said before, there is nothing wrong with being an American, but there is something wrong with following it’s values.

Growing up it seems we start to lose that childhood wonder. That feeling you get, that unexplainable rush when you accomplish something you never thought possible. To truly explore. Or even to push yourself out of the shell you wrapped your life in so tightly. It’s on these principles and ideas that harbor my motives. It’s with these thoughts that I seek to venture out of what’s known, to risk it all on well, what ever the world has to offer.

If you look hard enough you will get a clue as to where my destination is. Don’t look to hard though. It might bite you in the nose. If you guess it right i’ll tag you.