“This heart of mine was made to travel this world.”
Many have talked about the joy of being able to travel. But why do we find such joy from it?
I mean, we have to deal with the checklist of items we need to bring, we need to deal with booking our airline tickets, we need to deal with packing our luggage(s), we need to deal with our passports and VISA if applicable, we have to deal with co-ordinating with one another if we are going on a group trip, we have to choose our location wisely and plan out our itinerary.
Man, isn’t there just so much hassle — and we barely made it out the door yet!
What is this “joy of travel” that people speak of?
But I guess, I can understand a little of what an experience of travelling gives in comparison to anything else you might experience.
Travelling feels… freeing. And before you roll your eyes because you’re thinking of the hassle of following a set schedule (if you have a tour guide) or you’re remembering a petty argument you had with one of your travel mates, hear me out.
Travelling feels freeing because just for those moments, you’re able to focus on the view in front of you. You’re able to soak in the serenity and feel of it all. When I visited Windermere during summer, I sat down by the pier and kicked my legs over the waters. I soaked in the sun, the waves, the boats floating by, the birds flying by, the dogs being walked, the people around. In those moments, my worries, my struggles, the cluster of thoughts I had prior were pushed to the back of my mind. I was just comforted being by the waters (so much, that I only realised upon coming home that I was sunburned).
Travelling also allows you to discover new things. Personally, I enjoy two main things: the views, and the food. Whenever I visited a new place this past year, I made sure to research on the food that is well-known in the area to try out. Before I visited York last year, a friend of mine recommended me to bring my family to try out a well-known afternoon tea spot. We also tried Yorkshire Pudding, Pierogi, Mediterranean food — random delicacies we never tried before.
In line with discovering new things, I also got to visit Paris with a group of friends — I definitely enjoyed the company of the people I was with alongside the views. Seeing the famous Eiffel Tower, experiencing Disneyland for the first time, running away from cat-calls, rushing to our accomodation, being able to become closer to my roommate of the trip — just the little little moments that adds up to the fun of it all.
Travelling also feels fulfilling in a way? It felt satisfying that my family enjoyed the experiences as much as I did. You do feel gratitude in a way, that you’re able to go to these places and experience the things you always wished to experience. Whether it be seeing a famous landmark, freak out over art pieces in museums, having second helpings of food, seeing the view from the highest tower in the city, or just being able to forget work or your responsibilities for a little while — you leave with more than what you had before (well, other than the money you spent *wipes tears*).
These are the little insights I’ve gathered from being able to travel.
So, what does the joy of travelling mean to you? Feel free to share your thoughts!
What Does It Mean will be a series where I choose a random topic, share my views about the matter, and where I also hope to be able to get your insight and interact more with all of you who may be reading my work!
