Travel is not for everyone.
Do you believe in that?
In the bright kitchen at Aldo's place on a fine Monday morning, some thoughts crossed my mind.
Travel.
The buzzword these days. In tandem with globalization. It seems like every other week, someone I know is headed somewhere. Exciting? Yes. Interesting? Perhaps. Common? Increasingly.
Yet something bugs me. Having travelled rather extensively in the past few years, there are times when I seem to become a different person, and have "off-days" during my vacation - the "I wish I wasn't here" feeling. It is not exactly homesickness, not outright. More like, a wearied mind coupled with (often) a tired body. (Also, my flat feet absolutely disagrees with the rest of my being on days when I clock 10 hours of walking.) All in all, this feeling contributes to a somewhat diminished sense of Wanderlust.
Travel.
It is not something that everyone will like to do. It may last one week, it may extend to one entire year.
Borders are crossed, passports are stamped.
From Rome, to Rio de Janeiro.
Granted that there are a plethora of packages and options designed for every interest/age/budget, I believe that travel is 99% revelation and 1% anything else. We fly, transit, walk, drive, wait, climb, cross, ride all in a bid to get from Point A to Point New. Simply put, we head out to discover.
And thus.
Traveling is not traveling until you get out of your comfort zone.
Not till you decide to put that Mac burger down and try a local dish.
Not till you quit being absorbed in your smartphones with those hourly Instagram updates and speak to a local.
Not till you learn (and then secretly be proud of) the fact that you remember the directions to different places - all by yourself. Why, it even feels like you have been living in that place for a reasonable period of time! Travel guides, off duty please. Once again, bravo you!
Not everyone can adapt to a nomadic lifestyle, not everyone truly enjoys traveling (they will probably try to show otherwise, of course).
I am somewhat of an in-between traveller. Not exactly a backpacker, but neither have I stepped into the realm of luxury travel (SGD10,000 for a Business Class ticket? Get real.) I hover around, taking the best options and making decisions in hopes for the best of circumstances.
Why do you travel? Why do you want to travel?
Rite of passage? Is travel a commodification of "Unique Experiences" and "Cultural Enrichment" for the soul? Or is it simply a go-with-the-flow "everyone's doing it!"
It's perfectly normal. There is no ideal or universally acceptable reason to be a tourist, of course.
Don't be afraid to give cliche answers, "I want to see the world" is perfectly acceptable if you truly mean it with every fibre of your being. Others can never be able to fully grasp why you yourself choose to be in this place at this very moment.
But after that? What now? How are you going to harness your incredible experiences? Don't leave it at: "i've uploaded my photos on facebook now i'm done." It is a blessing to travel. It really is.
It costs money.
It takes time.
It requires energy. Zest.
Everyday that I am here, I am happy and I am thankful for the opportunities.
All in all, travel is a multi-sensory experience that is hard to beat.
Before I left for exchange, I happened to be in STA Travel's Agency. Thumbing through the glossy pages of a thick catalog on Europe led me to stumble upon the following quote:
I find that to be rather true, and pretty relatable. If you are a conscious traveller, you would have gathered all the memories and find that you have indeed, become richer.
Perhaps you will find changes in yourself.
Little. Profound. Being more socially adept. Being able to understand other languages. Being more alert. Street smart. Clever at finding bargains. Greater empathy. Broadened perspectives. Finding out your pet peeves. Find out that you are a germaphobe. Discovering a new food allergy.
Travel, and to define it is impossibly, mind-bogglingly, frustratingly complex and highly debatable. It is also dynamic, exhilarating, paradoxical, frightening, enchanting and a million other adjectives all at once.
That is why I will always be in love with it.
Do you believe in that?
In the bright kitchen at Aldo's place on a fine Monday morning, some thoughts crossed my mind.
Travel.
The buzzword these days. In tandem with globalization. It seems like every other week, someone I know is headed somewhere. Exciting? Yes. Interesting? Perhaps. Common? Increasingly.
Yet something bugs me. Having travelled rather extensively in the past few years, there are times when I seem to become a different person, and have "off-days" during my vacation - the "I wish I wasn't here" feeling. It is not exactly homesickness, not outright. More like, a wearied mind coupled with (often) a tired body. (Also, my flat feet absolutely disagrees with the rest of my being on days when I clock 10 hours of walking.) All in all, this feeling contributes to a somewhat diminished sense of Wanderlust.
Travel.
It is not something that everyone will like to do. It may last one week, it may extend to one entire year.
Borders are crossed, passports are stamped.
From Rome, to Rio de Janeiro.
Granted that there are a plethora of packages and options designed for every interest/age/budget, I believe that travel is 99% revelation and 1% anything else. We fly, transit, walk, drive, wait, climb, cross, ride all in a bid to get from Point A to Point New. Simply put, we head out to discover.
And thus.
Traveling is not traveling until you get out of your comfort zone.
Not till you decide to put that Mac burger down and try a local dish.
Not till you quit being absorbed in your smartphones with those hourly Instagram updates and speak to a local.
Not till you learn (and then secretly be proud of) the fact that you remember the directions to different places - all by yourself. Why, it even feels like you have been living in that place for a reasonable period of time! Travel guides, off duty please. Once again, bravo you!
Not everyone can adapt to a nomadic lifestyle, not everyone truly enjoys traveling (they will probably try to show otherwise, of course).
I am somewhat of an in-between traveller. Not exactly a backpacker, but neither have I stepped into the realm of luxury travel (SGD10,000 for a Business Class ticket? Get real.) I hover around, taking the best options and making decisions in hopes for the best of circumstances.
Why do you travel? Why do you want to travel?
Rite of passage? Is travel a commodification of "Unique Experiences" and "Cultural Enrichment" for the soul? Or is it simply a go-with-the-flow "everyone's doing it!"
It's perfectly normal. There is no ideal or universally acceptable reason to be a tourist, of course.
Don't be afraid to give cliche answers, "I want to see the world" is perfectly acceptable if you truly mean it with every fibre of your being. Others can never be able to fully grasp why you yourself choose to be in this place at this very moment.
But after that? What now? How are you going to harness your incredible experiences? Don't leave it at: "i've uploaded my photos on facebook now i'm done." It is a blessing to travel. It really is.
It costs money.
It takes time.
It requires energy. Zest.
Everyday that I am here, I am happy and I am thankful for the opportunities.
All in all, travel is a multi-sensory experience that is hard to beat.
Before I left for exchange, I happened to be in STA Travel's Agency. Thumbing through the glossy pages of a thick catalog on Europe led me to stumble upon the following quote:
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer
I find that to be rather true, and pretty relatable. If you are a conscious traveller, you would have gathered all the memories and find that you have indeed, become richer.
Perhaps you will find changes in yourself.
Little. Profound. Being more socially adept. Being able to understand other languages. Being more alert. Street smart. Clever at finding bargains. Greater empathy. Broadened perspectives. Finding out your pet peeves. Find out that you are a germaphobe. Discovering a new food allergy.
Travel, and to define it is impossibly, mind-bogglingly, frustratingly complex and highly debatable. It is also dynamic, exhilarating, paradoxical, frightening, enchanting and a million other adjectives all at once.
That is why I will always be in love with it.
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