So, I promised a summary, and realised I didn't exactly have one in mind? Haha. Perhaps it would be easier if you have any question in particular and ask me instead. What I do have is some reflection I have about my travels and the idea of travelling in general, which is largely inspired by this piece of article.
http://goinswriter.com/travel-young/
It is an interesting article, and even more interesting are the comments that follow, so do read the whole package (it's the weekend!). That's what I love about sharing knowledge, not necessary the information that was shared, but the different perspectives elicited just from one person's initiative to share.
While I agree with a lot of the points brought up by the article and the comments that follow, here's my personal perspective from my recent experience.
Please travel.
Yes, travel high-end, on a budget, around your country, the opposite end of your world, take a weekend off, take a year off, but travel.
And travel because you want to travel. You don't have to travel, heck, stay at home. But in my opinion, try it, even if it's just to cross of your list and say "Yea, been there, done that"
A lot of travelling has been romanticized that it creates expectations when people seek to travel, and for those who don't seek to travel, we feel like losers - but no one should be made to feel like a loser because they stand for their perspective
The biggest proponent for travel is that it opens you towards experience, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. But experience also comes to those whose heart is open to it. Not someone who begrudgingly travel because it's just about the coolest thing in the world or because they expect their life to have a drastic change eat-pray-love-style. Of course, it could be said that when you throw someone into the situation such as peer pressuring them into traveling, there will be some benefit because travel does change someone somewhat. Which means it can also change a person to just think traveling is meh, over-romaticized and just not their cup of tea, and that is fine. Because I believe experience comes to those who are open towards it, and I frankly had a difficult time doing that. As much as I try to rid myself of expectations, it's hard not to wonder if I will be kidnapped in Italy or losing my wallet in Austria because people make stories like that sound so cool that if your travel is not cool like that, omg, you so did not travel. It wasn't till towards the end of my trip that I realise, your travel is really personalized, it's an experience that you own, that you can choose to share. The awesomeness of it all is not dictated by the amount of adventures you have or did not have, heck, you decide the meaning of adventure. Whether it is strip dancing the first time, or getting lost in Venice on your own, it doesn't matter, it's your own.
The biggest proponent against travel is obligations and commitments which a lot of the pro-travellers brush off as excuses. Which could be true to some extent, but who we are to judge another's priority? Of course, people tend to extremify things and I agree with a lot of the comments that say you don't have to start with a one year travel, perhaps just travel to a neighbouring state. Granted, time and place can be factors for different experience, but again, travel is yours to own, as long as you open your heart to the travelling, you will find experiences that speak to you however big or small. And sometimes travel can really be a contradictory desire to a lot of commitments in one's life. From the comments, this seem to be more prevalent with the collectivistic community, thought how true that is would be a difficult concept to measure. Again, you are the owner of your choices, make it mindfully and if travel is in the agenda, great. If not, it's okay, it's alright.
Personally, I'm glad I did this travel. It did not turn out as I imagined, it turned out different in a very glad way. A couple of things I learnt/would have done differently next time I'm given the opportunity to travel:
1) Don't choose places with cover charge, seriously.
2) Dare myself to have conversations and a bigger dare to have it in a different language
3) Be smarter with my journal - as in including more reviews rather than go with the eat-pray-love style, the former would have definitely helped with sharing experiences
4) Get a guidebook or at least do some research
5) Stay longer in each city - and with a company. This is a very salient point as I find that it is so essential to have someone(s) to share the experience you have with, throughout the journey. I can't imagine travelling too long without having someone to process the experience with while experiencing it. While I enjoy solo travelling, I think companion(s) would make a good difference, and I look forward to testing this hypothesis next time ;)
Finally, travel. And travel with an open heart - it really makes all the difference.
P.S.: Here's an interesting article for paranoid travellers like me, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201210/build-travel-confidence-science-based-strategies
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