Does travelling bring genuine happiness, or is it just a costly habit that distracts us from facing the real issues in life? Drawing upon my own globetrotting experiences, I have begun to wonder if the real benefits lie not in the journey itself, but in the flow-on effects it has in the aftermath. Perhaps the magic lies in the 'coming home' more than the 'going away'?
Taking this idea even further, is it possible that the mundane pauses in between travelling might just hold more answers than the real adventures we have when we are away? Is the seemingly dull downtime dotted between adventures forcing some of us towards reflection and self-evaluation? In my case, that's a definite YES, although I do realise it may sound quite ridiculous to recommend choosing a bland diet of the clear broth of every day life over the mouth-watering buffet of experiences that travel represents. But before you run off to catch the next plane out of here...please hear me out.
Is it just me or have you ever come home from a holiday feeling really refreshed and inspired to change everything about your life? There is something so enticing about just being able to temporarily hit the pause button and jump off the treadmill for a while. A short burst of getting away from it all, to relax and reset before resuming our regular routine once again. But when we travel we always return a little different from when we left. I have come to recognise that this is without doubt a form of escapism. It's a coping mechanism that those of us privileged nomads with enough money, determination and freedom to do so, reach for when it all gets a little too much. A holiday from responsibility perhaps? Really?
But before we continue, I would like to clarify by saying that the kind of travel I am referring to is for leisure, as opposed to travelling for business. Let's face it, for many people the concept of taking any kind of holiday just doesn't exist.
In my opinion travel fits into three main categories.The brief touch on the pause button for a few days, the long hold which may last for a few weeks or months, and the full STOP on life altogether when you set off indefinitely in search of something completely different. The nomadic kind.
Do you have any idea just how many wandering souls are currently roaming around the globe right now, with no plans, no set destination, just having the blissful freedom to drift with the wind? Me neither, but it's a lot!
In other words, these 'lost' souls are thriving on a little less comfort zone, and a lot more faith in the unknown. Thrilling stuff of adventure! Some may suffer from total overload, and are searching for a complete reboot on life. I reluctantly admit to surviving on a diet of all three categories to feed my travel lust over the years.
Simply put, everyone travels for different reasons, but I am beginning to suspect we are all just searching for 'something else'. We are in one way or another, turning our back on our normal life and responsibilities. It's a really cool avoidance tactic.
"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson
Despite travel being one of the largest industries in the world, currently contributing trillions of dollars to the global economy each year, no one can really explain why we all want to be somewhere else. Every day on social media we are flooded with images of people wandering all over the planet to somewhere exotic and foreign, chasing the travel dream. It seems so romantic and carefree living this perfect existence...aaaaaaaaah.
We all know who we are, and boy have I met plenty of others on my travels.
I confess to sometimes contributing to that image myself, by posting only fabulous pictures of my fabulous life of travel. We want to portray an image that somehow all our worries evaporate while we are on holiday. Fake it till you make it, right?
But why are we doing this? Is it a matter of running towards something, or should we be asking what we are all running away from? And...does it make us happy?
What else is really behind this global obsession? Is it more than just an escape, a chance to reset, or curiosity for the unknown? OR, is it possible we are all just yearning for that feeling of comfort we get from 'coming home'...not just to sleep in our own cosy bed, but a more primal coming home to the self. Perhaps the key to our happiness is as simple as getting to know ourselves better, under all conditions. I admit I used to like my 'nomadic' self much more than my regular self. Somehow I felt more akin to who I truly am as a person, when I was on a journey somewhere else, whereas back home it was way too easy to get caught up on the banal day-to-day treadmill. For me travel represented freedom, and a false sense of normal.
So I began to focus on discovering how to create a life based on a foundation of the same feeling of freedom every day, not just while I was away on holiday. It wasn't enough relying on holidays to pull me through. This was creating a lot of pressure to work even harder so that I could afford my regular escapes, which in turn made me feel trapped and miserable. Believe me, I have invested a disproportionate amount of my 46 years on this planet either away on holidays, or planning my next escape. In the past 5 years alone, I have made more than 11 overseas trips, visiting over 20 different countries. Plus I have had various shorter adventure hits within Australia, and just completed a 3 month road trip up to far north Queensland. Until recently I squeezed all these in between my 'normal' life as a working mum in the corporate world. This obsession for travel I inherited from my parents, so I do feel somewhat qualified to comment...
My constant wanderlust has lead me all over the world, not only satisfying my thirst for experiencing exotic places and cultures, but it has evolved over the years into a much more spiritual inquiry. My yoga and meditation practices have seen me at the feet of many different gurus, with a wholehearted desire to better myself, but I will also admit to really insisting on getting some answers. Fortunately over the years my incessant curiosity has evolved into a much more inward journey of self-discovery and awareness.
l can now honestly say that it is not so much the 'going away, but the 'coming home' that brings me the most happiness.
The travelling has given me the courage to redefine what that means to be home. It has empowered me to recreate the kind of life I have been searching for all these years in foreign lands, right here wherever I am in this moment. It doesn't matter where I am geographically, it's the feeling of contentment, gratitude for what is, and living in alignment with my values, that makes me feel at home. I have learned to integrate these blissful pockets of escape into my daily life. Something as simple as a mindful walk along the beach, and deep breathing works wonders. I have learnt to catch myself when I am not in the moment, when my mind sweeps me away to another place, and I gently guide it back to appreciate my reality right now. Just like the frequent flyer, it's so tiring being constantly on the move.
In the words of Henry Miller,
"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."
For us, life has come full-circle...
Fourteen weeks ago we set off on a road trip around Australia in a bus. We sold everything including the family home to afford this freedom. This may seem like the ultimate sin as parents, but we were determined to inspire our children to have the courage to follow their own dreams, even if it means going against the grain. Our incredible odyssey has ironically led us right back to where we began in a surprisingly short time. What we have discovered from coming home is that most of the benefits we have gained from this experience did not come from what we saw with our eyes, but from the insight we gained into who we are as individuals, and what is most important for our future happiness together.
"Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey."
- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
We may be back here for now, reconnecting with family and friends, but our next journey will be in search of a beautiful piece of nature where we will replant some fresh roots by building our dream home together. This time though, we will create from our bare hands, a life that is simple, sustainable and off the grid. Our own space where we can retreat into nature every day.
We are definitely not cured of the travel bug, but when it rears it's head again it will be for totally new reasons, hopefully not to avoid, but instead to discover life, and to share our passion for preserving the planet we all call home.
Wish us luck!
"Wherever You Go, There You Are." - Jon Kabat-Zinn
May you find your home within.
Namaste,
Danielle, Tony, Frankie & Georgie
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We love to connect and share our experiences as we continue our journey.
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