I hate to start this article with that famous quote about the world is something like books and the one who did not travel is only read the page one? I mean the quote is pretty famous tho, and isn’t it true also? What kind of life are you living when you know about just one place? Then also I remember the cave-man story of Athens when all they know is only living inside the cave, and it was sad. And I think I have concluded that we need to go out. Go around somewhere. Find a new place. Travel, whether it is with your friend, or family or doing solo traveling.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.
Saint Augustine.
Traveling is not only mean you are moving from one place to another. It is not just about catching a plane from this to that. It is not only about having a night in a hotel or other stuff. Taking a bit deeper, traveling can be a way, a platform, a praxis, a tool, and a process to know and understand fully of yourself. As you embark on the journey from the outside, it will also impact the inside of yourself.
When you travel, you will find a new scene, a new environment, a new place, a new culture, a new feeling, and how you react to that, that’s is going to define you. Understanding how you see things will somehow make you learn and respect all the new things you just know.
Traveling doesn’t merely mean moving from one place to another. It’s not solely about catching a plane from here to there or spending a night in a hotel. Going a bit deeper, travel can serve as a way, a platform, a praxis, a tool, and a process to fully know and understand yourself. As you embark on the journey outward, it will also have an impact on your inner self.
When you travel, you encounter new scenes, environments, places, cultures, and feelings, and how you react to these experiences defines who you are. Understanding your perspectives will, in turn, help you learn and respect all the new things you come to know. This is precisely why travel matters.
In my opinion, traveling always brings valuable experiences. Experiences you won’t get if you’re just cooped up in your place. Sure, you can watch hundreds of videos and read thousands of books, but as Robin Williams said in the movie Good Will Hunting, the difference is, you can’t replace the feeling of smelling the scent of paint in a museum tucked away in a corner of Rome, or marveling at La Sagrada Familia as you step back and feel the grandeur of the masterpiece, or seeing Mona Lisa’s quirky smile up close at the Louvre.
These things can only be done when you move your lazy butt and go. Step out of your comfort zone. There are many ways—you can travel with your friends, family, or loved ones, but for a truly complete experience, you might want to give solo traveling a shot.
Solo Traveling
One of my favorite movies about solo traveling is “Into the Wild.” There is a time when I watch this movie over and over. Did not read the book, but the movie really is really encouraging and inspiring. I like almost everything about the movie. I like the raucous sound of Eddie Vedder when he delivers his song, I like the performance of Emile Hirsch as Christoper McCandless, I like they build the story, I like the anger, and I like the journey,
The solo journey of Christopher McCandless really gives a thought that having a solo trip will give you so much. You will meet with a new person and share a story. You will find a new place, and like in the movie, McCandless found himself. In the last moment before he tragically died, he wrote:
Happiness is Only Real When Shared.
Christoper McCandless.
But, we noticed that, during his journey of escaping from the cruel world, from the sick society, from this banal people to the tranquility of Alaska, he encounters some of the most thoughtful and valuable experiences.
Yes, solo traveling means you will walk alone, but it does not mean you will toss up with others. Like Chris, he learns from several people during his solo trip, and Chris exchange and get so many lessons from them.
Solo Travel, Why It is Fun?
We can argue about this for ages. And it was a subjective point of view also, yet, as I wrote all those introduction paragraphs above, I think I can manage to elaborate on why solo traveling is fun from my own perspective. So, here is a list of why solo travel is fun.
- It is very flexible
- Quite cheap, because you can easily choose what to eat, and where to stay.
- You can have all the time in the world
- No need to hurry, (I mean traveling with a group you have to follow the schedule and stuff)
- Eat anything you want, or don’t eat.
- Not expensive, you can say hi to a friend or stay in your tent.
- Hitchhiking is easy when you are alone.
- Self-growth, I mean you will learn about yourself.
- You can be spontaneous.
- You can take all the pictures without someone waiting for you
- You will be taking care of yourself
- independence
- Reflect on yourself
- Meeting new people,
- err, this list can go down as to one hundred, but let’s just stop here, or just go on solo traveling and add this list later on.
I think this is the end of this article, from all of the traveling I have been to, yes, the one I always enjoy so much is when I traveled alone. In the end, we are going to be lonely anyway. and that is fine, what we need to do is enjoy it.
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