“Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection.”
~Lawrence Durrell
~William Shakespeare
In honor of all of our friends wandering that beautiful world out there. Hakuna Matata
Ai Wei Wei’s ground-bound installation ‘he xie’ collects the forms of hundreds porcelain crabs situated in a heap in the main exhibition space. The work is saturated in social symbolism; ‘he xie’ translates to ‘river crab’ but sounds very similar to the mandarin word meaning ‘harmonization’, the state’s euphemism suggesting censorship. The political double meaning […]
The Pet Otter on Railay Beach, Thailand Two years ago when we were traveling in Railay Beach, Thailand we met a Rastafarian who had a pet otter. It has to be one of the cooler friendships I have ever seen. During the day the otter would go into the ocean, swim around, and always come back at night. […]
Love this quote. Interesting to think about the difference between travelling alone or with a friend/friends. Do they both offer the same level of introspection or just a different type?
Hmm maybe it depends where you are traveling to. . one of my fam friends asked her boyfriend not to go with her when she traveled to Machu Picchu because she wanted to be fully engaged there on her own
Great question. I think both can be valuable. But I think traveling by yourself for a few months, just seeing and being, you would dive into “who you really are,” much more than traveling with a friend or companion.
When you are by yourself (or at least when I’m by myself) there is no one to complain to or “judge” things/people with. You are potentially closer to “just being.”
Love the question.
I love Eckhart’s take on traveling. “People love traveling because it heightens their consciousness and they feel closer to “being” or “Presence” or “God.” He says that while a person is moving around in a place they have never been before, they are normally filled with emotions (excited, nervous, scared) which automatically heightens their consciousness and makes them more aware. Certainly an interesting take on traveling.
I think traveling is not only very introspective but also very spiritual.
A great question I continuously ask myself is “Why do I like traveling so much?”
Do I like the idea, the process, the ability to be free and explore, or all of the above? Does it fill my ego?
Its mostly a mix, but to me personally, I enjoy observing and trying to understand different cultures. I feel it is great for perspective. It also has made me appreciate things much more.
A big takeaway I got from to some “third world countries” or countries with some extreme poverty is “how good I have it.”
People in the USA, tend to complain a lot about housing situations and living with their family. I embraced living with my parents before I moved out because I saw just how happy and honored people in Cambodia and Burma were to live with their entire families (sometimes in excess of 10 people in one small house.) If they can embrace it with an authentic joy, than I too, if I understand the real situation at hand, could certainly find love/peace/God/everything in just that simple practice.