I had recently given a close friend a send off at the airport. She is on her way to begin a new life, where she'll be getting married. On the journey to the airport, she was feeling a little apprehensive, mainly about the flight rather than the wedding itself. It was also the first time in her adult life when she will be travelling on her own. So in the car on the way to the airport in order to inspire her, I started to share the joys that I found in travelling.

Destinations

Since I was young, I always liked going on trips. From short road trips to visiting countries beyond the British Isles, there was always excitement in moving from one destination to another. It was an adventure, not quite knowing what to expect at the final destination. This may be scary when going to unfamiliar locations, especially as we often can create images of how we expect places to be. The author Daniel Baylis described this in his book The Traveller his experiences of travelling around the world for a year. There was one chapter where he described one country he dreamed and fantasied about since he was young. The reality did not live up to his expectations. However overall, he did have a good time. It was an experience.

The World is My Oyster

Travelling is freedom. It is movement. It is only when you are moving that you are progressing. This is also symbolic of other areas of your life. Examples: deciding to change jobs; deciding to move into a new house; or moving on from a relationship. With any of these, it is the choice of the individual to move. Often people get scared about going to a brand new destination. This may be because the climate is different, the customs are different; or sometimes it may be the barrier of learning a new language. But these can be overcome. One of the best approaches is to come with an open mind. Years ago, when I was relocating to another country, one of my friends who had the experience of emigrating said, “There will be days where what you are accustomed to will not happen. But accept it as it is” She was saying, of course you may experience frustrations with how the new environment may be different to what you are accustomed to, but just let it be. I found these words vey useful, when acclimatizing myself into a new environment. How I see it, there will always be pros and cons of each new destination; but if you are more willing to accept how things are, the easier it becomes when in transition. I actually got so accustomed to the pace of my new location, despite the tight bureaucracy that when I returned to my native UK, I felt that it was a more stressed out environment.

Travelling is an expansion

While travelling you learn a lot about yourself and inner resources. Lets face it; you may encounter new things that are alien to your day-to-day life. If you are also travelling with someone like your partner, it may also be a testing time. Although in my experience, travelling with a partner is fine. Firstly I was in holiday mode, so the day-to-day responsibility was not being factored in. Secondly, as I was in holiday mode it is like going into 2nd gear in a car, in contrast to being in the cruise gear.

You may visit another country and be speaking another language. Although there may be similar words in different languages, it does not necessarily have the same meaning. So speaking another language or dialect may get you thinking in a different way. Taking a different approach to the norm.

Sometimes you may need to take a break away from your normal life. It may be that you have recently gone through a challenging time. It may be that you need to go on your own journey of self-discovery. Having a change of scenery can be a remedy for fatigue. The author Elizabeth Gilbert went on a self-discovery journey in her book Eat, Pray, Love.

“I’m like a bird”

I see travelling as a way of arriving at a new destination, discovering something new not only about my destination but myself.