For many folks, traveling is something they do for fun, as a vacation, to get away for a few days. For me, it is in my blood, in my bones, and feels as essential as breathing air.
After graduating college, I couldn't find work. One year of life trapped at home with my parents was enough to drive me up the wall and back again. I vowed to not live another day so dependent upon them, and more importantly, without work. On facebook, I was friends with a girl who was finishing a two year run in South Korea as an English teacher. I wasn't dating anyone, had no job prospects, and had always wanted to live abroad. Basically, it boiled down to: why not, what have I got to lose?
Off I went, taking the plunge into the scariest pool I've ever encountered, and moved my life half way around the world. It only took four months for me to try my hand at traveling by myself, and once I did- I was done. I couldn't get enough after that. All I wanted to do every month was go somewhere, and I took every excuse to do so.
Five day break? Search where the cheapest plane tickets are to.
Three day weekend? Let's go to another city in Korea.
Two week vacation in July? Time to plan a big trip somewhere.
Setting foot in another country is the most exhilarating and refreshing feeling I have ever encountered. A smile enters my face that doesn't leave during the entire trip, and will last for days, or even weeks, after. A bounce appears in my step where none was before.
It feels as if pure happiness has been pumped into my veins, and without it, I begin to shrivel and die.
Traveling has become a life force, and the best anti-depression drug a psychiatrist never thought to prescribe.
I have been unable to travel beyond three minor trips for the past two years. Mostly due to financial reasons, but also graduate school obligations have gotten in the way. In my heart and soul, I can feel the boredom, sadness, and unhappiness that comes with being stagnant for so long. All I long to do is walk through Incheon International Airport again, fly away to any country really, and get lost for a week or two.
My father is an extremely loving man, and has regularly told me all my life to do what makes me happy.Well . . .Traveling makes me happy.
- It keeps my depression at bay.
- Grants peace when sorrow overwhelms me.
- Fills me with wonder and a feeling of oneness with the world.
- Bestows hope when I feel downtrodden.
- Shows that I am capable of so much more than I knew.
- Grants perspective into my true strength lying within.
- Allows chances to meet people from around the world.
- Teaches me more about other cultures and societies than any book ever could.
- Opens avenues to connect and learn from those who have so much to share.
- Fuels my soul and refills my spirit when I am running low on hope.
It is one of the most important things I need in life to feel true happiness.
And I never want to give it up.
Next spring I hope to go on my first international trip in nearly three years. I want to go backpacking across China, through Nepal, down into India, and then end in Thailand. My feet are aching to get going, my heart is eager to feel the exhilaration, and thrill of venturing to somewhere unexplored, my mind longs for the exposure of a new society, and my soul is ready to discover different lands. The fear, rush, excitement, nervousness, and joy of going to places I've never been are emotions and sensations I am ready to feel again.
Curiosity has always been in my nature, and as time has worn on, that curiosity has shifted to exploring this world that we live in.
For many, traveling is a chance to relax.
For me, and some others I've encountered during my life, it is a chance to feel alive again.
Love,
Your Wandering Swing Dancer,
Rita
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