I'm embarking on this journey to Peru partly to appreciate and get the most out of life at home. It might sound strange for a person who has traveled as much and as broadly as I have to admit that I have a really hard time leaving home. I sleep best in my own room and am very fond of my daily routine. While I like being in new places, the process of leaving my own place is really painful sometimes. People always ask "Are you excited to be going to xxx?" And I feel terrible when I have to admit that I'm not because there is a big pit in my stomach at the anticipation of leaving.
So why do I do it, you might ask? On one side, I absolutely love to see new places and cultures and see the daring, fearless person I become when I travel away from the normal constraints of home. But almost as importantly, going away always makes me realize what I have. I miss my home, my city, my friends... In my regular life routines, I end up taking those things for granted and getting lazy. I like my friends, but in the context of normal life, I sometimes don't make the effort to reach out and make plans with them. I love New York and all the exciting happenings and cultural opportunities it offers, but after being in my routine for a while, I get lazy and spend the day at home watching tv vs getting out there and discovering something new.
Travel away motivates me to appreciate and seek out what I have at home. It energizes me and I come home from a trip and take advantage of that energy and live more fully by reaching out to people, making plans and discovering new things. Travel revives me.
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