Sunday 27 November 2011

Why Travel?


Why Travel?

I always thought that there is an innate desire in every human being to explore, to be curious, to demystify the world around him.



I realized though that this curiosity varies in intensity among individuals. On one end of the scale are the risk averse who prefer to live within his comfort zones. On the other end are those who are open to new experience.

I belong to those whose openness to experience are extremely high. (although there are some things I would choose not to experience, drugs and tattoo for example). I am not sure if this is genetic but I think what led partly to this wanderlust was probably because growing I felt constricted in our small remote town.

At any rate I enjoy travelling because it changes my perspective about life. It broadens my horizon. It challenges my pre-conceived notions. There is a transformation that happens that is only visceral and palpable when one travels.

One also gets to appreciate more his roots, his humble beginnings when one stripped of his familiarity of his hometown.

This appreciation and change of perspective I guess is aptly captured by T.S. Eliot

“We never cease from exploration.
And the end to all exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And See the place for the first time”


How about you? Why do you travel?