Why is Travelling Far Away Good for the Soul?

This travel blog aims to explore why venturing further afield can be the most valuable of learning experiences.

The Proof is in the Pudding

You needn’t be Sherlock Holmes to discover that exploring cultures away from your own will be far more impactful and memorable to the traveller. Conversely, countries closer to where you live in the same continent will have more in common and be more familiar to you.

In Europe, for example, you have certain architectural styles where you can see similarities from one country to the next, i.e. in France and Germany near their mutual border, or in Greece and even Turkey (in Asia but close to Europe) beautiful blue cities. Apart from geographical location, religion is also a key element, i.e. churches which will be familiar where Christianity has been prevalent; although differences in architecture exist further afield as places of worship take on some of the elements of their surroundings, i.e. a synagogue in Kochin, India or Willemstad, Curacao has a completely different look to those in parts of western Europe, for example. While neo classical or baroque architecture can equally be found in Italy or Czech Republic, totally different civilisations reigned supreme in countries such as Mexico (Aztecs and Mayans), Peru (Incas) or Jordan (Nabataeans). Massive pyramids and temples, for example, can be found in central America that don’t exist where you come from and can feel more exciting and impressive.

Learning Curve

The world is full of wonder. Travelling, as some believe, is a more valuable form of learning than going to school. Why is it so educational? Well, it all starts with the eye of the beholder. If you are open to learning by being open-minded and have a curiosity for experiencing new things, i.e. seeing new and interesting sites, tasting food with ingredients that are not typically used in your own cuisine, perhaps being adventurous and going out of your comfort zone, i.e. trying food that ordinarily wouldn’t be on the menu, i.e. snails or lama etc, and doing your research, listening to locals’ advice, and seeing beyond cultural stereotypes; these can all play a part in enriching your travelling experience.

Culture Shock

Culture shock perfectly encapsulates the benefits of real travelling. When we see or hear something totally unusual or unexpected, we can be startled or at least intellectually and culturally challenged. Our own perception is therefore a superficial and flawed concept as we need to be able to change our way of thinking and be able to adapt to the culture in the country we find ourselves in. In some parts of Asia, the physical distance between people is far smaller than in Europe, for example, which would make some Europeans feel decidedly uncomfortable when confronted with this reality in a foreign land. We need to understand how people do things and why as much as possible. This does not mean we need to change what we believe deep down, i.e. our own customs are the ones we hold dear, are used to and make sense to us. Here come some more examples when in Japan. You can’t speak on your phone in the metro or in a carriage on a bullet train. You need to wear indoor or outdoor slippers, respectively, or you could insult the lady of the house. You may need to put your bag in a basket in a restaurant to make things look nice and tidy (and to keep the smell of food off you bag), you needn’t bow in response as a westerner and the list goes on.

How to Know if You’re a Proper Traveller

Oh that’s easy. The best way to find out is to hear what someone has to say about going to India. If he/ she would never go based on the following reasons then they are not: it’s dirty, I’ve heard everyone gets sick, poverty etc. Simply, if you have been to India, you’re a traveller; the real deal. In this fantastic country, you can discover a huge amount about yourself, about many religions, many cultures, etc. There is no more challenging destination (excluding war zones) nor one that can change you for the better forever.

Expanding one’s mind

To conclude, it is certainly true that people travel for different reasons. Some to relax, to unwind or to spend quality time with loved ones, in some case to get wasted or to get away from a stressful existence. Then, you have the real travellers who have wanderlust, they live for their next trip, dreaming and planning, which is part of a quest, a thirst for knowledge, which can only reap rewards. Real travelling is a way of life. It is not about hiding from reality, replicating your own home or culture away from home. So not English breakfasts in Spain or crowds of fellow Brits in a resort. That is something altogether different. This is something thought-provoking, enticing, addictive and never-ending. There is so much to discover, and we only have a short time on earth, so why waste the opportunity? Sadly, not everyone has the means to do so, but if you are lucky enough to, then grab the bull by the horns and get travelling.

* Faces x 20 far away foreign lands collage (above) pictures from left to right:

Row 1: Vientiane-Laos, Valley of the Dawn (near Brasilia)-Brazil, Douz (Sahara)-Tunisia, Antigua-Guatemala, Kyoto-Japan, Saigon-Vietnam, Marrakesh-Morocco, Bangkok-Thailand. Row 2: Amritsar-India, Tokyo-Japan, Palenque-Mexico, Amish County-USA, Manaus-Brazil, Jakarta-Indonesia, Hong Kong-China, Attari Wagah -India-Pakistan border, Granada-Nicaragua. Row 3: On the road, Bolivia, Suchitoto, El Salvador, Denpasar (Bali)-Indonesia, Santiago de Cuba-Cuba, Medellin-Colombia, La Paz-Bolivia.

+ bonus picture: Durian seller in Phnom Penh, Cambodia