Travel

One of the finest pleasures in life is to wake up in a foreign city.

A fresh day. A brand new discovery awaits. Time to stimulate the senses and magnify the emotions. Time to learn not only about the new place, but, more importantly, about ourselves.

When we give ourselves the opportunity to experience things for the first time, we distance ourselves from the usual familiarity and all that we so comfortably tend to take for granted. We gain a new perspective on ourselves. We remind ourselves of the value of what we have whilst gaining new motivation to attain our goals. Or perhaps to completely revisit our goals.

Travel leaves us with unforgettable experiences. Whatever happens in life, the encountered moments, the discoveries that have been made, can never be taken away from us. We forever cherish stories of adventures, of new findings or revelations, of people so different yet so similar to us.

Ibn Battuta, the 14th century traveller and author so elegantly formulated, "Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."

"Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."

- Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta set off from his native Tangier to travel simply for travel's sake - purely for the joy of learning about new countries and new peoples. 

What we keep in our hearts as a result of our wanderings is priceless. There are no boundaries on how enriched we may become. The beauty is that, interestingly, the more we travel, the more humble we become.

In a later era, the 19th century French novelist, Gustave Flaubert, a proponent of literary realism, expressed it ever so relevantly, "Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

- Gustave Flaubert

Travel fills our eyes and soul with wonder and gratitude.

Travel enables us to avoid having our lives disrupted by routine.

Travel lightly with very little luggage – but travel with endless curiosity and a generously open heart!