5 Things I Discovered About Myself While Traveling
To travel is to discover. When you travel, you come across many things – places, people, food, culture, tradition and so on. Traveling is about discovery. It is about knowing about things that are very simple, yet very significant. It is about the traveler – his or her notion and approach towards life, people and values. When I travel I know I am in a different world – I am away from my usual life – my home, family, job and other things. That’s when I discover ‘myself’.
Each travel experience unfolds something about me, which remains hidden otherwise. And that is one of the most interesting aspects of traveling. I have listed down some of the things that I have discovered about myself while traveling.
I am fearless – Being fearless is something I wouldn’t have discovered about myself if I hadn’t traveled alone. Of late, too much of buzz has been created about women traveling solo, but I don’t find anything odd or stupid about doing so. Seriously, if I wouldn’t have traveled on my own, I would not have known that I can manage so many things so well!
The most memorable ‘solo moment’ of my trips has been my camel safari in Jaisalmer. I was all alone with two strangers in a desert! I did feel ‘fear’ for a while, but fearlessness took over quickly because of the incredible experience that I had.
I value people – That’s one thing closest to my heart. I never knew that I respected and cared for people unless I started serious traveling. (Well, I don’t mean to say that I didn’t care for people in my life earlier.) When you meet all kinds of people on a journey, who are complete strangers, yet they add something to your life, they help you out directly or indirectly, that’s what I value the most.
I have met many people on my trips, and all of them have influenced me deeply. I consider myself to be a very self-focused and selfish person, but when I am on a trip, my attitude changes swiftly. I am another person altogether. Although I don’t mingle too much with anybody, I feel connected to people.
I am keen to learn – No two ways about it, that you learn a lot when you travel – And I mean travel in the true sense of the word. I don’t mean visiting a destination like a tourist, when your sole aim is to cover most of the hot-spots.
When I am traveling, my sole ambition is to know a destination deeply. I am a curious person. I want to know, learn and gather. You can learn only when you don’t follow the defined set of rules. I mean, if you want to visit a certain place and skip visiting another, it’s totally your call and it should have a purpose behind it.
I appreciate little things – Although I always appreciated little valued things, travel has accentuated that quality in me even more. I feel so touched by people’s politeness, courtesy and smile. Whenever I am respected and honored because I am a guest at a place, it humbles me. I am so moved by the hard work put in by different people – waiters, doorkeepers, guides or a random local of a city.
I understand life – Those who travel passionately experience life closely. Yes, it’s true. If you don’t travel, you barely understand life in its true sense. There are many people who undergo a lot of things in their lives, which enriches them. However, travel unravels some of the unusual aspects of life.
When I am in the midst of mountains, I feel as if nothing else matters – pain, crevices, relationships or anything else. I can actually feel the power of nature embracing me! Well, not just nature, but all the aspects of travel introduce me to the ‘real’ life, which we are not able to discover in our everyday lives. Travel makes me understand that life is beyond the demands, expectations and pressures of the world. Life is far more beautiful when we travel.
I have discovered so much about myself! It feels great!
What have you discovered about yourself while traveling? Share with me in the comments section!
What have you discovered about yourself while traveling? Share with me in the comments section!
