What is Travel?
What is Travel?
To some it’s getting from Point A to Point B. These people don’t enjoy getting from one point to another, the journey is not why they set out, they simply want to get to that end point.
But then that end point changes, once you have gotten to Point B there is always another place to go, another point that has to be reached. It’s so easy to get caught up in always trying to get to the next point, the next place, that you can lose sight. It happens without much notice and suddenly you are standing out of breath at that Point W and have no idea what you did to get there.
Maybe travel is simply enjoying all the bits of travel, instead of focusing on that end point that has to be reached to have a good adventure, see new things, have a good time. Focus on those little adventures in the journey, the little pieces of beauty, and those fun little moments; from getting into that taxi to the airport to sitting on that long plane flight with the noisy seat mates.
Because if you look hard enough you can find whatever you are looking for in your travel adventure while in those necessary transit times.
If you are looking for beauty, beautiful images that can’t be seen at home. Imagine instead the sight out an aircraft window when the sun is rising over the horizon, the light just dusting over the endless sea of clouds. Or the complete darkness of the night sky, high above your city everything so quiet and peaceful, tiny prickles of light the stars closer than ever.
Beauty can be the sticker that you find obnoxiously plastered over the customs instructions, mockingly staring at the serious eyed security guards glaring at you as you wait in the customs line.
But perhaps adventure is the reason for travelling, fighting to break through the never ending sameness in your home city, the adventure of the unknown calling out in the promise of travel.
What can be more precarious than trying to get to the airport after your silly relative has suddenly dropped out and every single person you know suddenly can’t help anymore, even that friend of a friend of a friend’s, sister’s, son’s girlfriend. Struggling to get to the airport with your luggage, ringing a taxi from the neighbor’s house, who glares at you the whole time you’re on the phone. Your own phone long disconnected after some trouble with the phone company. All the while the clock is ticking down.
Adventure comes through transit, when getting into that taxi and asking to be taken to your hotel in a different language than the native one, and spending the whole ride wondering if you will actually end up where you need to go.
Travel to have a good time. Ending up talking with a person you have never met before, just chatting about nothing as you both wait for a boarding call. Finding something in common with someone you will never see again, bonding over idiots and weird airlines.
What is travel? Escapism.
Escape from a boring job. Escape from commitments. Escape from responsibilities.
Escape from life.
