Today I plan to write about my personal interest in travel. As the world continues to develop technologically, and travel becomes easier, more people are packing their bags and heading off on an adventure. Everyone has a different reason to travel - perhaps for business, leisure, or to see family - but today, I will be discussing mine.
Whenever I think about my next trip, or see a spectacular image of a place I would like to visit one day, it pleases me. I think this is because travel, to me, is infinite. The globe is so big, and I am so small, and there will always be another place for me to explore - another mountain to climb, another lake to swim in, and more food to be tasted.
I constantly look forward to experiencing new cultures, which include things I would never be able to encounter back home. To me, being able to delve into and understand why people practice a different culture can be really eye-opening. Being forced out of your comfort zone and learning to accept different ways of doing things really expands your flexibility and idea perception in everyday life.
When I was in Cambodia last year, I was shocked at the amount of rubbish on the streets. I couldn't understand why they didn't throw it in a bin, instead of on the ground. I learnt that their culture is based around living on a day-to-day basis. They are focused on making sure they have enough food for that day, and not about planning for the future. Because of this, they don't think twice when throwing their rubbish on to the street. My mentor had put bins around the village, and I asked him, "why don't they use the bins?" He told me to imagine if Cambodians came to my home town and forced me to live how they do, for no good reason. This, he said, is how they see Westerners coming into their village, even if we do have their best interests at heart. What this trip taught me is that, even when you think you do, it can be very hard to understand a different culture, simply because you spend so much time immersed in yours. However, when you do come to understand another culture, it can be very mentally-freeing.
Whenever I think about my next trip, or see a spectacular image of a place I would like to visit one day, it pleases me. I think this is because travel, to me, is infinite. The globe is so big, and I am so small, and there will always be another place for me to explore - another mountain to climb, another lake to swim in, and more food to be tasted.
I constantly look forward to experiencing new cultures, which include things I would never be able to encounter back home. To me, being able to delve into and understand why people practice a different culture can be really eye-opening. Being forced out of your comfort zone and learning to accept different ways of doing things really expands your flexibility and idea perception in everyday life.
When I was in Cambodia last year, I was shocked at the amount of rubbish on the streets. I couldn't understand why they didn't throw it in a bin, instead of on the ground. I learnt that their culture is based around living on a day-to-day basis. They are focused on making sure they have enough food for that day, and not about planning for the future. Because of this, they don't think twice when throwing their rubbish on to the street. My mentor had put bins around the village, and I asked him, "why don't they use the bins?" He told me to imagine if Cambodians came to my home town and forced me to live how they do, for no good reason. This, he said, is how they see Westerners coming into their village, even if we do have their best interests at heart. What this trip taught me is that, even when you think you do, it can be very hard to understand a different culture, simply because you spend so much time immersed in yours. However, when you do come to understand another culture, it can be very mentally-freeing.
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| Rubbish on the street - a normal sight in Cambodia. Taken of Siem Reap Central Market* |
Travel has been proven to make you happier. It forces you to grow up in so many ways. When traveling you must be independent, financially weary, learn to problem solve and abandon your everyday routine. It forces you out of your comfort zone and opens your eyes to the the incredible size of our world. Only travel can help you grow in this way, so deeply and so quickly, and that is why I love it dearly.
*Disclaimer: the photograph above is not mine. It was taken by shankar s. I am able to use it in my blog post because it is under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License. Click on the photograph to be taken to the original photo.
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