We travel because we are addictive to the unknown and the new.
Travelling it is not about crossing continents to live life exactly as we do at home. Travelling is to experience, and to have new experiences we must be open to them, invite them. Sometimes this can be difficult, frightening even, as it means stepping out of our comfort zone. It means awkward moments, strange places, strange food and customs and ways of life that seem odd, and often the complete opposite of our own belief system.
Travelling is essential for effective thinking. When we are immersed in a worrying situation it is hard to see the wood from the trees. It is only when we take a break and go somewhere else that we are able to put things in perspective and to think more clearly. Travel is about that in a much bigger scale. When we escape from the place we spend most of our time, our mind starts to wander, becoming more aware of all those errant thoughts we had suppressed. Having time to think with no deadlines to meet is something we have always longed for.
Travelling makes us more tolerant. Things don’t always go according to plan and we have to be adaptable to cope with surprises. Moreover, visiting other countries and being close to people from different backgrounds make us more open-minded. It is that mental flexibility that provides us with a powerful tool to better deal with unexpected eventualities.
Gary and I become closer when we travel. Although we visit the same places, we meet the same people and we taste the same food, our experiences of these things are different. We love discussing our thoughts and insights of what we have seen over a nice glass of wine at the end of the day.
By travelling we learn to live with less and appreciate what we have.
