I recently got a tattoo on my ankle that has a small airplane on it, in an infinity symbol. The obvious theory would be that it speaks of endless travel. There is some truth in that. But one would also look at it and assume I’m already an avid traveler and have been to some 20+ countries so far. That is far from the truth. One would then assume it is a rather incomplete representation of myself đ but I assure you, that is hardly so.
Every time I’m on Instagram, I come across users posting innumerable pictures of themselves on trips across the globe. Some for work, some leisure, some on a family holiday, some on a soul searching expedition, and then there’s the evident travel genius who uploads 40 pictures in one post.
For me, to be able to travel for leisure and/or exploration always came with a whole lot of excitement and preparation. Right from choosing whom to go with, to choosing seats on an airplane, for me the whole process is an experience that I want to remember forever. And therefore, while I do travel quite a lot for work, I’m taking it one country at a time for a more personal experience.
Walking down cobbled streets on a cold evening..clinging to my jacket, opening a frosted window to reach out to first snowflakes of the morning, digging my feet into the warm sand on a beach, exploring heritage cities on a cold night, indulging in an Italian lunch on a hot middle-eastern afternoon, waking up to sounds of an aircraft piercing through the silence of the snow clad Himalayan peaks… these and a ton of other eternal memories are what prevent me from âtraveling in a hurryâ ! I’m not (and will never be) the type who will speed through 5-6 countries on a Euro-trip in 2 weeks.
I recently read a blog titled ‘Why You Should Travel Less in 2019‘ by #passionpassport and they talk about why you should throw away the long practiced habit of ‘traveling for travel’s sake’. They couldnât be more correct and it saddens me to realize that our ‘kind’ are far from realizing the beauty of truly cherishing another culture and landscape.
I admire people who take a good couple of weeks to really soak in the sounds and sights of a new place. That is what I aim to be!
Sure, we want those fabulous pictures for good old Instagram. But would it hurt to take it slow? Would it make a difference to me and/or the environment and the people of the country I’d like to visit if fewer of us showed up every once in a while with our cultural differences, bad habits, lack of appreciation for their civic sense and art (just using examples, no offence).
Iâm  positive there are many just like me, who sometimes break under the pressure of Instagram ‘Influencers’ and experience #FOMO to the next level. Itâs one big social media race to the finish out there!
My advice to you is to hang in there, cherish the experience of slowly but surely planning a nice trip to a destination YOU’VE always wanted to go to – and not some place chosen by a survey on social media. Take time to research, chose a great friend / sibling / travel group to go with, and live to tell the story – just like I’m doing here.
Yours truly
xx
PS – You should totally follow https://passionpassport.com/ for their superb, contemporary, meaningful content!
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