Why Do I Enjoy Travelling?

Travelling is not only discovery of a place. The world is a book and those who travel read many books. Travelling can be in many form – with commercial tour or non-commercial tour, free and easy or solo. Each of this has its own pros and cons. To learn more of each country, it is best to avoid commercial tour and/or big group. It will be quite touch and go thus, we will never really learn more of that country. However, to visit some countries, it is unavoidable to travel in large group. Nevertheless, the type of travelling form, I love travelling to inspired and even challenge my current mindset, being an adventure and enrich my life even after each travel has ended as experience is lifelong.

Always Inspire and Challenge My Current Mindset

I always found that travelling inspires me. Even though we live in the same continent let’s say Asia, how does others speak? What food that they eat and how the taste differs from ours? How is the local’s lifestyle and culture?

We definitely can Google or watch from TV this but experience it first-hand is very different. In the neighbouring country – Singaporean have own lesser cars and commute more using train. Taiwanese are super friendly and they are willing to take you to your destination if you are lost (not just telling you). Hongkongers are moving in fast pace which their table in restaurant need to be share with strangers and leave immediately once you finish (space is precious after all).

We should activate our five senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. We will be culture shock but this experience will always challenge us with why. Why don’t we adopt this practice in our country if another country able to do so? What is the issue or obstacles that prevent us from doing so? If so, can we in anyway adopt this difference in our daily life even a little?

An example, stray dogs are being care in Turkey (an Islamic country). They are given food and neuter. In Taiwan and most European countries, pets are treated like a child. They even can ride rides such as train, cable car like any children. The water can be drink directly from tap in Switzerland.

Switzerland: Dogs can ride public transport

Taiwan: Dogs are being loved and treated like own child (you will see them everywhere)

Switzerland: Only water not suitable to drink from any tap will be put symbol. We can drink water from any tap or fountain

Learning what others do in each country inspire me and change my perspective and how can I adopt this in my daily life.

Be An Adventurer

Being an adventure during travelling bring us out of our comfort zone. This can be achieved by travelling solo or in small group which plan by ourselves. Well, it is not the planning but during the trip.

What should we do if we can’t find “the place” we want to go especially it is quite hard to find? It would be fun to get “lost” in our adventure as we might accidentally discover new places to visit. Definitely do not “ON” the panic mode. Just continue to be adventurer while travelling.

Travelling solo or in our own challenge us to be independent. We have no one to depend on when anything happens. Of course, we can ask the local but not all countries the local are friendly or helpful. We have to think on our own feet as in a foreign country it will be challenging due to many unknown factors.

Travel sharpens our mind as we are placed into a new environment. We need to make quick decisions. As we travel in short trip, what we want to do may not happen exactly we what planned. Thus, we need to make decision and a quick one. We will learn to look beyond what’s right in front of us.

Even so, this is a good experience to challenge ourselves occasionally (we need to be cautious that not to do anything dangerous or beyond our capabilities and respect others’ culture).

Life Enrichment

Travelling can also enrich our live. Experience new culture is like learning new knowledge. Enjoying food in other countries satisfy our stomach (we might occasionally miss some of the food that we can’t get in Malaysia).

It is not always beauty scenes that we see in all travel. Like in Tibet, lack of water is a huge hygiene problem to the locals (not only tourist). In Sahara Desert, it is harsh to live in as the weather change during the day and night and the locals need to wrap their face to protect from heat and dust. In Hong Kong, it is so compact that space is too precious. We will learn to appreciate that we do not face such climate or much difficulty in our country.

Morocco – Sahara Desert: It is so hot that local and tourists need to wear scarf

Morocco: Local praying even bringing tourists to Sahara Desert

Hong Kong: The Famous Montane Mansion which is very instagrammable but most importantly the residents are living in such a cramp and compact space.

Morocco: Leather Tannery – it is very smelly due to the way of making of leather products, image how harsh the condition the workers work in their life

Make new friends whether with the group we are travelling and with the locals. We will learn even more when we try to understand each other.

Nevertheless, we should enjoy life like never before. It is not the destination, but the journey that counts. An invaluable experience. The culture, languages, scenery, food, architecture design that I discover all over the world open my mind and change the way I see the world. Let’s explore more of the world. Travelling is like reading a world book.