Traveling reveals world in new light
At the time you are reading this, I am somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, counting down the minutes until I land in New Zealand.
At the time I am writing, however, it seems impossible that I will ever get everything on this pre-trip to-do list accomplished so that I can actually make the trip.
Everyone should travel at some point in their lives – internationally if possible, but you can get many of the same benefits of traveling by just jumping across state borders right here in the U.S.
There’s something about stepping outside of your everyday life, outside of your usual surroundings, that opens your eyes to the wider world around you. A trip to an unfamiliar location, whether it seems exotic or more commonplace, helps you see things in a new light and realize just how much there is out there to see and know.
A trip to Texas, Kentucky or Florida can bring the same sense of wonder as any trip across an ocean – at least, I have found that to be true for me. You don’t have to go far to notice shifts in culture. You don’t have to go far to encounter new landscapes; new restaurants; new traditions; new ways of thought.
I’ll be in New Zealand and Australia for a couple of weeks. As much as I want to soak in some great tourist spots – my husband and I are angling for a Lord of the Rings-centric tour in New Zealand – I also want to soak in the local culture, the flavor of what it means to live in Australia and New Zealand. There will be a good opportunity to experience some everyday life, from attending worship services on Sunday, to watching television, to visiting the laundromat and grocery store.
I want to realize all the things that are different – and all the things that are the same.
As wonderful as traveling is, on the other hand, maybe the best part is the end of traveling. The best part just might be coming back home.
Being away from the people and places you know and love helps you see them with fresh eyes and renewed appreciation. When we’re surrounded by the same views, the same habits, the same agendas every day, that sameness becomes stale. It can be hard to value the things we know best for what they are, and we long for something different. But once we have had a taste of something different – well, it’s just that much nicer to come home and be surrounded by those old customary comforts.
As they say, “familiarity breeds contempt,” but “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
That was something I realized anew when we took this trip last year. I have never been so grateful to receive a free Coke refill or to order real, true bacon upon returning stateside. It was such a pleasure to be in the same time zone as all my friends and family; visit my favorite places; and return to my usual routine.
I’m looking forward to returning home with that renewed appreciation again this year.
While we’re away, I’ll be helping put this newspaper together “in the future” – time differences are funny things. So if you have ever wanted to send a message to the future, shoot me an email. Tell me all about your favorite trip and what you love the most about traveling – and about coming home.
