About Me

If you want to get a different perspective on my journey, try this blog from Zac. A friend I'm travelling with. zacstravelcolours.wordpress.com

Sunday 20 November 2011

BONUS fauxlosophy post: Travel Theory


There's a good chance what I’m about to say is neither new nor true, but it’s a thought which has come to me recently and I need to try to express it. I’m also guessing it’s not something many of you would have spent any amount of time thinking about so it could be interesting.

Travel destinations are a balancing act. Each and every place in the world sits somewhere on a line between accessibility and unique experience. Between traveller comfort and genuine adventure. Risk and safety.

 I’ll try to explain. At one end of this line is Brisbane, my home. Almost everyone I know lives here (or the Sunshine Coast), I have almost infinite connections to a huge variety of familiar things and perhaps most of all, it’s where all my stuff is. The other side of this line is a random spot in the middle of the Amazon, the Sahara, Antarctica. Some of the last true wildernesses on earth. In a place like this the risks and rewards are exponentially greater. Will you discover ancient artifacts, be accepted by a previously undiscovered tribe and live off nothing but wild berries and animals you’ve caught with your bare hands? Or more likely, die starving, miserable and alone and have your carcass eaten by (/coyotes/penguins)? The vast majority of us will never know. and of course this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Travel is all about finding your own spot on the line. The destination with the perfect mix of comfort and excitement for you. Those last two words are absolutely integral because every single person is different. For some people the perfect destination might be home. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. For some it might be Melbourne or Sydney and I’m sure for a lot of people it’s Phuket.

Where you fit on the line doesn’t really matter. But the sad thing is many people don’t get the chance to find out, for whatever reason. The thought of travelling to other countries, mixing with other cultures might not appeal to you in the slightest. But if it does, you owe it to yourself to give it a go. I’m still searching for my spot on the line, and it might sound corny but this is one journey which is at least as rewarding as the destination.

3 comments:

  1. Very good point my friend! It all comes down to personal preference in the end. The ability to feel comfortable in a foreign (or even very familiar) setting is a hard one to capture. Only because it's dependant of different situations and differet culutral values and norms. See I especially loved Bangkok (and could easily live there) for the big city, great nightlife, busy atmosphere and all round good times, although in saying that, the beaches of Koh Samui were breath taking and asolutely amazing.

    The realisation of travelling to Bangkok and thinking, "Hey, I could live here" was surprising.. Especially when I live 300m from the beach at home. I think in the experience of travel I've opened up my opinion and attitude to the different lifestyles and cultures, which I hope can only be a good thing.

    I'm sure you'll easily find your place on the line. Maybe it is in Antartica, Sahara, or back in your heritage land of Portugal. But, in the end, I know with your open mind and a keen sense for travel, you'll find it in now time.

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