Via Little Passports
By Ariella Fong
There are many reasons for people to travel. When I first felt the urge to travel, it was because of a desire to see a world I knew so little of, and to explore these places by myself, a sense of self-exploration. Most recently my reasons to travel is a combination of escaping the grind of my daily routine life and the excitement of going somewhere unknown, uncharted and unexplored by yours truly. I thought traveling meant going somewhere exotic and unique and to be well traveled meant seeing as much of the world as possible, returning home cultured and perhaps a little bit smarter.
A friend, who knows my wanderlust tendencies, gave me a book last year called The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton. A former TED Speaker and Philosopher, Alain explores the reasons why people travel, rather than where they travel.
The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to.
De Botton sums up my last trip in the most exact manner with this quote. When planning my next trip, I was debating between traveling to Belize with my close girl friends or returning to Hong Kong with my sister to visit our family. And in the end, Hong Kong won out. While I relished the thought of gallivanting around with my friends in a country foreign to me, I learned that this time around, the destination wasn’t the driving force behind my travel plans, but rather the intent on the travel.
This lesson was further confirmed on my side trip to the Philippines. My sister and I had expected large swells for surfing but was met with disappointment when we arrived and saw nothing but still waters. And so, this trip became a time spent reminiscing on stories of our past and reflecting upon fond memories with my sister and brother-in-law. Rather than exploring unknown land, we sat and talked, often over drinks and food. This time together might not have happened had we been focused on the destination of trip, or even if our original surfing plans were successful. While I wouldn’t categorize the destination of my trip to be special, I would say the trip was, indeed, very special. And looking back on the timing of it all, I realize the opportunity to spend that extra time with my family became a blessing I will never forget or regret.
There is never a right reason to travel or a right place to travel to. When we let go of expectations and the mindset on the right ways to travel, we find that the best trips are not often the destination we travel to, but the stories and the treasures that accompany us home.
About the author:
Ariella loves how food, when shared between friends and family, can create beautiful memories. With a background in international event production and communications, Ariella is always on the hunt for her next culinary or travel adventurem which she documents on her blog www.ariellafong.com
