Yes, we all like to travel. Seeing new places, going away from all the stress, taking days off from work … but there is much more to travel than this.
Some people are just happy to see the Eiffel Tower or to just lay down on the beach and tan in the Sun. And indeed it is relaxing.
But there are people who perceive traveling on another level. Those are the people that like to challenge themselves. They like to feel the presence of a city and taste the energy of people living there. These people don’t just come to see the Eiffel Tower, they want to understand why French people love their baguettes or why Japanese people always call a stranger ‘gaijing’.
It’s precisely these kind of things that make up the essence of certain nationalities. Getting to know new cultures closely and being compassionate with the people of an unexplored country, is exactly why travelling is so important. It brings the life of a stranger into your everyday life and forever changes it.
The stories you come across on your journey will be forever engraved into your heart. It takes love for the world to truly devote yourself to the mission of understanding other cultures. One must completely expand their horizons and leave their prejudices at home. An open heart can’t travel without an open mind.
And yes, it is true that travelling opens both your heart and mind. By getting to know different cultures and nationalities, we are gaining respect for the world as we know it. People must realize that the world can only be seen through the window and not the mirror. Looking through the window to different cultures, we are actually creating a mirror for ourselves. Our reflection depends on the kindness and understanding we project to ‘’strangers’’.
Travelling makes us see that the people of the world are not so different from each other; as long as we are guided by compassion.