Wanderlust might sound like a thing for hippies that is, until you visit a new place and fall in love with it that you desperately chase after the feeling of wanting to travel again. Much like concert withdrawals where you desperately wish to relive the fun experience again. It’s hard on your bank account, but travelling gifts you with beneficial and valuable experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.
Being in an unfamiliar place forces you to confront things that you never had to when you were in the comforts of your home. It’s so easy to have something screw up and you have no choice but to face and confront the issue yourself, or play a part to resolving it in some ways. You meet people from different backgrounds, cultures, and you exchange your stories, emerging like a newborn as you realise how small a part you play in this world.
You meet people with different skin colour, hair type, the way they dress when you are travelling. Different landscapes, food, climates. You begin to compare and contrast it to your way of life, finding meaning to the things you do. I’m from Singapore, where the sweltering heat stays a constant 30 degrees Celsius and drops only a mere three degrees at night, at most. I envied countries that had any type of cold weather, until I started living in Melbourne and realised that I had to cater my wardrobe for clothes for four seasons, and the number of jackets that came along with it. I also appreciate Singapore’s high humidity that gave me the luxury of not moisturising daily, though my make up doesn’t stay as well as it should. Of course, the cold has its perks too, I’m just saying that I grew to appreciate what I used to loathe.
Seeing people from all walks of life injects compassion and empathy. Doing things myself that I couldn’t do back home is an accomplishment for me. There are so many things that you would feel somewhat more comfortable doing because you’re already placed in a foreign environment it allows the question of “I’m already here, so I might as well do it. If not when else?”
Trying new food when you have always been a picky eater is a type of accomplishment for me. Learning to eat spicy food, eating raw fish, trying different cuisines. I’m so comfortable at home, sticking to the things I know are good. But when you’re overseas, you don’t exactly know what is good and what isn’t. The restaurant that has a 5-star rating might not be a 5-star place to you, you’re forced to eat something else after. Or you’re so hungry after hiking you stop by a diner that sold kangaroo-meat burgers, you’re famished enough to think that sounds like a great, yummy option.
You know what’s the best part about having long-distance friendships? They’re pretty much low maintenance. They will probably have a different perspective on things because of the way they were brought up. You don’t see each other every day so that means there are always things to talk about and catch each other up on. If you have any issues with the situation around you, they’re safe to talk to because the distance cushions the risk of your problems spilling out. The only downside is that you can’t hang out in public, but that’s what Skype is for right?
You want a break from the monotonous life you’re having. Travelling physically takes you away. You have no chance but to drop everything that you have going on to take a break and focus on yourself. Variety and change seem to be a real push for giving life some sort of meaning, doesn’t it? That, and you get to update your Instagram feed.
I get it. Our time and age has nurtured us to constantly chase after change, and there’s only so much you can break away from – can’t exactly job-switch every few months, can we? Meeting new people and making new friends is one way to get a change from your life. You can even change up your personality if you like, no one would even know because they’ve never met you! While travelling, you get a chance to start afresh, almost.
You’re back to your 9-5 life, there’s nothing exciting a week after you’re back. You’ve talked about your vacation already. You’ve been caught up on everyone’s lives while you were gone and there’s nothing new. You desperately wish to be back in Bali sipping cheap cocktails at the beach under the golden glow of the setting sun with nothing to worry about. You’re already planning for your next trip.
The popular thing people do these days is to use travelling as a tool to keep themselves preoccupied so that they can take a break from social media because it’s so easy to revert back to your old habits in the same environment. They allow themselves to be immersed entirely, living life in a different place, forgoing the updates on social media.
Maybe you just went through a breakup, or you need a career change, or you’re just fresh out of university trying to figure your life out. Going on a trip broadens your perspectives and as you find meaning in things, hopefully, you’ll find what brings you joy as well and work out your life from there.
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