After coming back from Guilin in June, a friend I met during the trip asked me during one of our random conversation; "How many countries have you been before?" To keep it short, one year, one country, from 2005. Travelling is something you can't stop, it's addicting, fun and most importantly, beautiful. Travel is the best way to escape the boring routine of your regular life, it's the best way to adventure. One thing we all feel when we travel is that feel of being a kid again, that feel when you get to explore and experience new, different and maybe strange things. You're excited to learn again!"10 Years Ago, I Stepped My Foot Out to See the World, and I cannot Stop Since".
1. Meeting new faces who has the same passion as you, or probably as lost as you do.
You might see the same faces of your colleagues / ex-classmates for years and probably bored of it already. There's nothing new to talk about beside of your boring 9 - 5 work; then you step your foot out to the world. There's nothing like sharing the same bus with a group of people for 4 days, complaining and enjoying the same thing for days. And that we could come from the same place, but never really knew each other, cause you won't go knocking on the door of a random person who lives across the street? The world is big, but for people to meet, is definitely going to be a small world!
2. To See Things You Can't See At Home
Did you know that the Lord of the Rings were being filmed in NewZealand, or that wall that Harry Porter magically flip through really has a train station to it in UK. All these things actually exists in the real world, and there's nothing like going and seeing the sights by yourself. You may feel safe and all by sitting at home, but there's nothing like adventure and fun by experiencing it yourself. Get your butt out of the chair and go climb that hill or ride on the Hot Air Balloon. There world is beautiful, you-must-see-it!
3. To Eat Things you Can't Eat at Home
I'm not really a food fan here, so I could probably save a lot when I travel. I usually just eat to survive and nothing really fancied. But I did try the Beef Tartar in Paris, fell in love with the croissant until today, munch that Fish and Chips of London, or even ate by the road side of Taiwan and Myanmar for a local meal. They all satisfied my taste buds well, and sometimes my stomach growls when I look back on the picture.
4. To Experience Local Culture and Art.
Want to see Mona Lisa? Though, still didn't know why I lined up 2 hours for this, but still you gotta travel to find it out yourself!
5. To Gain Knowledge
I learned what's systematic by travelling to Japan, I learned what's hospitality when I was being hosted by my relatives when I travelled back to China with my grandparents, I learned what's passion to the job you love when you see young adults being proud of their road side stall in Taiwan, I learned that people need life goals when I was dying on the beach of Maldives with no beach activities, I learned that we are not ought to have safe and clean water. You will never fail to learn something when you travel, whether it's a local culture of surviving method, or why they acted this way. Travelling open up your mind and perspective towards things.
6. To Push Yourself to do Things you Wouldn't do Sitting on the Couch
My usual weekends are usually just falling asleep by the couch every now and then, and even to get that remote control, I wouldn't want to move that muscle so I could probably be on the same channel throughout the day. But travelling is different, you want to fully utilize all the time you have to see and enjoy as much things there is to explore in the country. You meet different challenges and it's never the same as you do it at home by the couch. Get your butt away and start finding that adventure!
I promise you, the rush and excitement you get from experiencing something new is way too satisfying to the mind that when it's over you're already planning the next trip! Going back to Taiwan for the 3rd time this October and still looking at my budget for Iceland in December to catch the Northern Lights and fulfilling one of my lifelong dreams of touching snow! See you out there!