The Mindful Traveller
Just thinking out loud again — writing personal observations combined with one or two famous quotes and a change in thinking that has been embraced by many. It’s based on a simple observation: how some people seem to be ticking off their bucket list of “must-see” travel destinations before they...
“Kick the bucket.”
Some travellers seem to have raced around the entire globe
“in 90 days”
while actually not taking the time to really experience being there.
This is combined with another observation: a traveller who does not seem to be travelling at all. It almost seems that some people have left their physical bodies in the bus, plane, or train and projected their conscious self into the future — already hovering above the ancient Roman arena, the Bloody Tower of London, or jet-skiing and windsurfing along that tropical Caribbean coastline.
They do not seem to understand or appreciate the very wise words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”
I think he is telling us that instead of transporting ourselves several hours ahead, constantly thinking about everything we plan to do when we get there, we should come out of that mental state and return to the present moment — the present moment of the journey itself. Although we are in motion, moving forward, we should try to stand still in the moment that is currently unfolding before us.
Yes, it’s based on the philosophy of mindfulness, which encourages us to live in the “now,” observing, savouring, and fully engaging with every positive experience that crosses our path.
Our holiday actually starts the moment we leave our home.
We need to sit back, kick back with our feet up, and enjoy the ride. Take the time to enjoy the scenery passing by. If it’s a night flight or journey and we are exhausted, we can show gratitude — even if only to ourselves — for the opportunity to sleep. If we can’t sleep, let’s try to connect with our fellow passengers: our spouse, siblings, children, best friend, or even the complete stranger sitting next to us. So many interesting and intriguing conversations have developed from such spontaneous interactions, with each person sharing their own personal, unique life story and experiences. These conversations have sometimes led to long-lasting friendships — friendships formed hours before the plane landed or the train or bus arrived at the station.
And when we finally arrive at our destination, do we take the time to savour that specific moment? We are at the “starting block” of the destination part of our journey, with several days or weeks to look forward to. It’s a wonderful moment to take in — literally trying to make time stand still — to breathe in this particular moment while you feel and acknowledge every positive vibe flowing through your body.
Wow! Didn’t that feel good? I almost felt as if I was there with you!
Admittedly, it can be very difficult to fully relax when this will be our first and last visit to this particular “port of call.” We may have a huge list of places to visit and things to do in a very limited timescale.
We have one of three choices:
- Stick rigidly to the plan. Do not get sidetracked, do not slow down or rest. There is no time. We must be determined to keep to the timetable. We have to get maximum value for the money spent and time sacrificed in relation to the number of monuments, landmarks, breathtaking sceneries, and action-packed activities — all perfectly recorded, stored, and shared on our Instagram accounts.
(Don’t worry — when we get back home we’ll have a whole year to relax, view, and savour the moments on our smartphones, tablets, and laptops.) - Or maybe we are simply in-between (yes, I just made that word up). We want to see some local attractions and landmarks, but we have very limited interest, enthusiasm, and involvement because all we really want to do is crash out… while sporadically making the strenuous physical effort to get out of our deck chair or crawl out from under our parasol, staggering to the pool or the sea for some form of partial or complete submergence in that cool, transparent liquid known as “water.”
It’s either that or we just wanted to go for a pee. We could have stayed in our own country or county and booked into Sunparks. However, Sunparks backgrounds just don’t “cut it” on our Instagram accounts — that’s just “not done.” - Or we can choose to ignore a large part of our “to visit” and “to do” list and just visit and do what my so-called mindful method of travelling involves. When we visit or do something, we open our hearts and minds fully to that place or experience, being completely present.
When we are standing in that Roman arena, Aztec temple, or Egyptian pyramid, we close our eyes (figuratively speaking), travel back in time (yes, now we can leave the present for a moment), and imagine ourselves actually being there — surrounded by spectators cheering on the gladiators, smelling the fear of the prisoners, and feeling the suspense in the air. Or we imagine the hustle and bustle of an ancient market packed with produce, livestock, and ornaments spread out on tables and stalls.
We slowly climb that one cliff at sunset and embrace the panoramic masterpiece being painted across the horizon in front of us.
We strip naked and dive into that one lagoon, despite the fact that there are several more unique lagoons and waterfalls further up the trail that we will never get to see. But we simply don’t care — because we have this one lagoon all to ourselves at this moment in time.
Or we take the time to observe, approach, and intermingle with the locals — even the taxi driver taking us to the beach. We ask questions and then we listen — really listen — to his or her story, experiences, and life. When we ask for directions, we not only try to remember them, but we observe and appreciate the time and effort they are giving us. If we buy souvenirs, we make an effort to buy from real locals, even when some of the things they sell “were made in China,” knowing we are supporting the local economy and someone who chooses to work honestly rather than steal from tourists.
The fact is, the vast majority of us will never get to travel to and experience even one-tenth of this planet’s natural wonders and beauties. And I question even those who did — whether they really had enough time to be fully present and preserve those moments in their hearts and minds instead of just on their smartphones or cameras.
However, I do recognise and acknowledge that everyone is different. For some, thousands of brief moments stored electronically in the cloud or on hard drives mean more than a hundred moments ingrained in their long-term memory that can be fully relived any time they close their eyes.
Which leads me to the following:
“Each to their own.”
“If that’s what makes you happy, then continue doing it that way.”
And in fact, who am I to question your way of doing things?
Admittedly, this alternative, slower pace of travelling means one will see even less of this beautiful planet.
But I will purposely choose this method of travelling because, according to the minimalist lifestyle:
Less is more.
