The best travel is in the mind
Carpe diem (creative commons)
If you’re a visitor to this site, the chances are that you love to travel. But the chances also are that you aren’t currently travelling – but thinking about it instead. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
That’s because the best part about travel is in the mind. The real excitement, as with so many other things in life, often comes with the anticipation rather than the event itself. And the real appreciation often comes after the event in thinking back about its details.
In many ways, holidays are better before and after the real event – in the mind’s eye. For most people, a vacation typically lasts anywhere between and week and two weeks – maybe even three weeks if you’re feeling particularly reckless. For real travellers, on the other hand, the durations are usually measured in months, if not a year or even two.
When you look back on these experiences in years to come, you’ll always appreciate the things you actually did – rather than those you thought about doing but didn’t. This isn’t true for all things in life – but is generally true of travel.
Make your dreams come true (creative commons)
That isn’t to say you should be reckless and throw everything up just for a year’s travel. Instead, this is something to plan for in all areas of your life – but also to “carpe diem” whenever you can. You will always appreciate it and look back on it as one of your life’s great experiences.
And talking of seizing the moment; if you’re a football fan, there may well only be the one chance in this life to visit Brazil while a World Cup is on. For the record, it lasts from 12th June to July 13th and will surely be the greatest competition football has ever seen. Remember; the last time the World Cup was held in the country that has won the tournament more than any other was 64 years ago. The chance to say you were there isn’t one to pass up lightly. Currently, the home nation is the bookmakers’ favourite to win a sixth World Cup on home soil in the Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, on Sunday July 13th – and what a spectacle that would be!
Grabbing such opportunities, if they really “do it” for you is partly what travel is all about. But it’s also about something deeper; changing the people we really are.
The most obvious time to seize the moment for a long tour or stay somewhere is when there’s a natural break in your life and you aren’t hell-bent on your career – so after College / University, or just before. But an increasing number of people are able to take career breaks or sabbaticals with their employer’s blessing, or simply between jobs.
Remember; travel isn’t simply about sightseeing or the experiences you have. Travel fundamentally changes you for the better – and this is change that is always with you afterwards. It changes the way you look at things, what you find important or trivial and, done properly, it makes you appreciate the simple things in life.
