Firstly, why am I blogging? I don’t believe I have anything interesting to say; I am not particularly unique, I have no real skills or talents, and I can’t imagine I am a great writer. However, I wanted to try something new. That has been my guiding principle, or driving aim, over the last few years. It has taken me from a vulnerable man to one who has confidence and conviction. From starting off in Italy, to the Middle East, Australia, Vietnam, and now South America, this trip has been a wild one. As I look back (and it certainly warrants some reflection), I am not quite sure how I transformed so much.
My adventure hasn’t been a grand voyage or an odyssey. My travelling style is quite laid back, and although I could be considered a backpacker, the thought of a long, hot bus ride haunts me. I feel capable of travelling rough (and I have), but I prefer a bit of luxury. I am still trying to find that perfect formula, and every trip leads me to reassess what I need from an experience and what really matters.
If I had to define why I love travelling, it would follow these lines: travel doesn’t change you, but it allows you to truly test your ideas across cultures and your own boundaries. Travel shows you directly what it is about life that you really enjoy, and certainly what you dislike. This process is beautiful because, instead of theorizing and questioning while sitting at your desk, you get to test your beliefs. Usually, there are people who have walked the path you are considering. If you have an open mind and heart, then you will learn a lot from these individuals. However, you can never learn everything. As in life, we are all unique, and so we must find our own way. With travel, you can express yourself in the path you follow and with which people you associate.
Although we talk in Western societies about individuality, we often do not truly express it. We express reflections to impress, to hide, or simply to survive. It’s natural. But imagine you are in Vietnam, solo, entering a hostel or going to the supermarket. The people you make eye contact with, or those with whom you have a conversation, will never see you again. That is true freedom; you can express yourself entirely. I think that is why I find travelers so intriguing. They are authentic and honest because they know our relationships are temporary. That skill of not caring has slipped into my own life and helped me tremendously. Conversations become more interesting, making the relationships I develop feel more meaningful. There is a connection instead of a transaction, which is unfortunately becoming the new normal. We ask, “How are you?” without waiting for a response.
Time is what is limited, yet we often spend it doing things we can’t say we truly enjoy. Most people never get to spend their precious hours in ways they deem right. We have become so busy, and when we aren’t busy, our minds relentlessly remind us of the tasks lined up. Travel gives you the privilege of having time. You can settle down and do nothing. You might stay at a café all morning, wander the streets of Rome at night peering into each richly decorated apartment block, or go for a hike without worrying about when you have to return. All of a sudden, you start to appreciate the small things, the little details. Regularly, I find myself staring at beautiful objects, listening to birds, or daydreaming. In my opinion, these small, intimate moments are the real essence of life—not constructed or contrived.
To summarise, I absolutely love travel. You are in a movie directed by yourself; you can choose the scene and many of the actors. You can create a scenario without even having to write the script. But travel is not for everyone, and I certainly don’t take it for granted. I am one of the luckiest humans to have ever walked this planet, and that is no exaggeration. The great and lofty benefits I have struggled to articulate are accessible to all if we only stop and think about what truly makes us happy—truly, and not what we feel we need to be doing.
No more rambling; thanks for reading,
Kph