Traveling, It has always been a way to reset my mind. To confront biases and to show where I stand in the grand scheme of things. Like a mirror, it never lies but allows reflection on what I had believed to be true before the adventures began and what I have learned to be false. I believe that travel is the gateway to wisdom. A teacher greater than any program or university, and in a world so big as ours it is an endless pool to quench a thirst for knowledge. Where one can major in excitement and enlightenment.
We all know this deep down. That is why we are so attracted to stories of adventures in far off lands. The story that spoke the most to me as a child is The Hobbit. It isn’t some grandiose retelling of the bible where a “Chosen One” vanquishes evil and saves the world. instead it tells the story of a small and unremarkable person that joins up with a group of complete strangers, straps all he needs to his back and sets off by foot to traverse foreign lands with inhabitants that are much different than himself. This kind of story shaped so much of my mind without even realizing it.
In my own travels I see myself much like Bilbo. A small creature in a wide world. Ive always liked to travel light fast. If an Item does not fit into my trusty pack it is not welcome along for the journey. I have also never been fond of renting cars, I prefer instead to stay on my feet as often as I can and lay my head in the most modest of accommodations. After all if I was interested in being comfortable I would have stayed home. I travel to feel uncomfortable, to feel challenged, to experience something totally different from the day to day.
It may sound kind of crazy, most people travel to take a vacation. Vacations are great if you are looking for rest and comfort. If that is what you want by all means book a cruise, check into that all inclusive resort, escape from the world for a few blissful days. But in my mind comfort is where personal growth goes to die. Now don’t misunderstand me I am not saying that all travel needs to be uncomfortable every minute of the trip. Im simply saying that travel is an excellent opportunity for growth and learning. Growth is typically an uncomfortable process.
So the next time you have a few days off buy a ticket, strap on a backpack, lace up your boots and head out your door! If you push yourself to try the uncomfortable and to take the road less travelled. To be an adventurous Hobbit in a story of your own writing. You may just come back a different person than the one who planned the trip in the first place.