What Travelling Has Taught Me
Everyone thinks they know something, until they don’t.
This picture contains one of the best view vantage points, the best bakery, and the most delicious ice cream I have ever experienced. Can you spot where they are? The answer is most likely that you can’t.
Truth be told — neither could I. That’s why we underestimate the importance of travel and the beauty of exploration.
Nowadays, with the innovation of technology and global connectivity, we are so fortunate to be virtually connected to the world, and we can see any of the picturesque landmarks around the world with a simple internet connection. But this takes away from the whole experience. When I took the above picture, I was going through way more than you would be when you looked at it. I had just randomly discovered the greatest bakery I’ve ever been to, which featured an argument with the Positano police over why I wouldn’t give them any of my delicious charcuteries. I had just completed a two hour uphill climb to reach this point, twisting and turning around the narrow streets to stumble upon this gorgeous vantage point. Perhaps most importantly, I wasn’t even supposed to be in Positano. My friend and I had completed reversed our itinerary two days before and had found our way here from Greece.
And it was by far my favourite part of our 5-week backpacking trip.
You see, these are the experiences that make travelling worth all of the money, time and stress. There a thousands of writers around the world praising travel for changing their lives and for giving them a new perspective on the world. Unfortunately, most of us don’t seem to believe these people, and instead continue to travel to resorts and to locations in which they’ve already been before. The beauty of travelling to a new part of the world is that, odds are, you’ll discover something that you never would have expected discovering. This doesn’t directly change who you are, but your reaction to the unexpected sparks changes in your mind and thus builds you into a much more rounded, empathetic individual. It’s quite amazing when you reflect on each trip and see how much you’ve changed in such little time.
