The Wanderlust Story

Why does everyone seem to be bitten by the Travel Bug?

According to a Travel Report last year, it was found out that an average millennial plans to take approximately five trips throughout the year, three of which are expected to be international. That’s more international trips than Gen X and more overall trips than Baby Boomers. While these are random statistics that I picked up from the internet the authenticity of which I do not guarantee, it is not that hard to believe it. I mean who does not like travelling? With our Instagram being flooded with #takemeback pictures, it makes me wonder what has changed over the years that we crave for new places, experiences and views so much. Is it general economics or is it just the 21st century media glorification?

Since the world has become civilized, people have been taking up travel to find newer trade routes - Marco Polo who discovered the famous Silk route or Columbus who is claimed to have “discovered” America. However, travel was undertaken also by the common folks in the form of pilgrimage. How can one forget the image of Xuanzang and his tall back pack (cum umbrella) in our history books! In 629 AD this Buddhist monk took a 16 year journey in search of the origin and depths of Buddhism. Similarly, people in past would visit the Basilica of St. Lorenzo in Italy to touch the arm bone of St. Appolonia the patron saint of teeth, if one had tooth ache. Coming to the contemporary times, we see every year more than a million devotees go on Hajj. Closer home, Vaishno Devi witnesses about 8 lakh visitors every year.

Travel is still therapy for a lot of us. A break from the otherwise monotonous life. In a capitalistic world where even our education system is focused on teaching students how to make more and more money, perhaps we should take a pause and ask ourselves this question that Francis Tapon asked himself - what will you do with your time if you have all that money? Tapon, a Harvard Business School graduate, has walked across the United States four times via its three major mountain ranges. He also walked across Spain twice. He was the first person to do a round-trip backpacking the Continental Divide Trail. Not to make any of you travel lovers jealous, but he has travelled to over 100 countries of the world. Well clearly, travel was his first choice.

Like Francis, I am sure if posed by this question our answers are going to be the same. Not everyone’s style of travel may be similar to that of Francis but at the core everybody is an explorer at heart. Some manifest the explorer through the short trips, hikes, vacations etc and some through books or music. Essence precedes existence or existence precedes essence, we will keep that debate for some other time but one has to agree that travel does help one in either finding or transforming oneself.

While exploring more on the iconic travellers of all times, I found my new favourite Stark woman – Freya Stark (You can check out the full list by National Geographic on 10 Famous Travellers throughout History). This badass Stark had travelled through Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen at a time which was politically and culturally very turbulent. A Royal Geographical Society awardee, she had located unmarked villages and unsuspected mountains, taken compass bearings and photographs. She often travelled solo into areas where few Europeans, let alone women, had ever been. She usually travelled these unknown harsh terrain by camel or donkey with no option of Business or Economy. She was a connoisseur of people: she knew how to draw them out and listened closely when they spoke.

“The essence of travel is diffuse,” she wrote. “It is never there on the spot as it were, but always beyond: its symbol is the horizon, and its interest always lies over that edge, in the unseen.” (I think I have gotten my travel icon). I guess our chase to keep exploring comes a lot from our human desire of seeing the unseen. Unseen side of the world, unseen side our souls.

Living in a culture that considered crossing the ocean a taboo to yearly 23 million Indian travellers taking International trips, we have come a long way. The traditional recognition of the need for a rooted, static and stable set of relations with place – i.e. topophilia – is being taken over by the love of mobility, change and transformation in the person–place relation – coined tropophilia. As life for an average millennial grows busier and faster, nearly a quarter work more than 50 hours a week, with young Indians working the longest - 52 hours. More than a quarter expect to be working past the age of 70. 12% believe they will work until the day they die. With the expectation of working into old age, 84% of millennials are planning to take a career break at some point – this time out could be to care for relatives or children, ‘me time’ to travel and pursue life dreams, or to return to education and gain new skills. While Wanderlust has been highly romanticized and used as a powerful marketing tool, but aren’t we getting too lost in this lifestyle leaving us wanting for something more profound. To connect with our own selves, through nature, through experiences, through these short “vacays” that one takes.

I do not mean to exoticize travel through this post. I have never believed travel is the only means of finding ourselves even though a powerful tool. Yes, there is a big big world out there to explore. But there is so much more inside us to explore. There is another magical universe inside us waiting to get your attention. Your inner self wants to be seen. Are you paying attention? Find your moments where your surprise yourself. Clichéd but start with what you have and where you are. Being mindful of the present and reflecting on the past is the recipe to plan your future self.

So this Corona season let’s travel inside! Stay Safe

Related posts:

Human brain is like a flower which after spreading it's fragrance all the day needs water to get refreshed. Similarly we humans need some relaxation in our life after engaging in numerous tiring…

The clocks runs out . And it should aloud . That the time but is gone Buy I'm not yet home It's truth that . Those thinks no more sound sweed . In my garden they are like weeds Yet the shadows of…