When we travel, as I am doing now, we discover all kinds of things. We discover just how kind and helpful people are, even total strangers who are willing to give you directions when you are lost and offer help about where to find a particular object or service you may be trying to find. We also discover how important to us is our family and how much we miss them. Hopefully it makes us appreciate them all the more when we return home.
We discover that the natural world is beautiful wherever we are and especially when we are travelling we seem to take more notice of the world around us. I know I do anyway. Each country and each part of each country has its own charm and its own specialities where flora, fauna, food and drink are concerned. The people, though universally kind in my experience, also vary and it is this very variety that makes life so interesting. Dialects differ from place to place and one is often surprised to come across people from one’s own country in the most unlikely places. In one country it seems almost everybody is open, friendly and garrulous whereas in others they seem more reserved and it takes longer to get to know them.
The world is a fascinating place and I guess when we are travelling, we are forced to be more aware of others and focus less upon ourselves and this is good for us. It helps us to understand that if we take people as we find them and ignore any prejudices we may have had, we will invariably discover almost everyone is helpful and interested in where we come from, where we are going and what we do. I find travel helps me learn things about myself also. It teaches me just how much habit comes to dominate my life when I am in the familiar surroundings and with the familiar people at home. When moving frequently from place to place you learn to become adaptable and to take setbacks, unusual developments and even pleasant surprises equally in your stride. No two days seem to be the same. There are new faces around, new voices with strange accents, new experiences to hear and to relate. There are sometimes unexpected changes in the temperature and humidity and new scenes to take in and enjoy.
All this is there for our edification and enjoyment. “Variety is the spice of life,” ran the old saying and it is true. For anybody feeling a little jaded and bored with constant repetition in their lives, I strongly recommend travel, even if it is only to a nearby place. Take the bus, walk or cycle to the next town or district and keep your senses alert. Feel the changes going on around you, watch the different scenes passing before your eyes, listen to the different voices and dialects, smell the different scents and taste both the air and any different fruits, foods or drinks that you find. Do that and your boredom and dissatisfaction with your life will vanish, for we are meant to enjoy the infinite variety the Great Creator has placed before us in this beautiful world that is full of joy, love and friendship if only we learn to recognise it by retaining a positive outlook.
No comments:
Post a Comment