I came back a week ago from Mauritius
It’s a must-visit country. Mountains, rivers, plains, ocean – you will find everything there. A blend of nature and civilisation. People living a far more relaxed lifestyle. All in a tiny island of some 2 million people
This isn’t an advertisement for Mauritius, of course
Transporting from where you are to an entirely different place is perspective-altering. Being in Mauritius, I instinctively compared my life in India to it. It’s natural to spot the differences
I think my takeaway was that happiness isn’t driven by how much wealth you have or by how fast your life moves. It is driven by quality relationships, especially with your family.
What is happiness is an essay by itself, and this is about travel
I first travelled alone at the age of 18. This was also the first time I travelled abroad. To say that the experience shaped me would be an understatement.
It changed my perspective towards life
Seeing people of different cultures, experiencing other places and building new friendships with strangers was new. But what stayed with me from experience was how travel naturally makes you reflect.
Travel is a mirror placed in an entirely different environment
You look at yourself. You examine your thoughts. You question your assumptions. In those quiet journeys, contrasted with everything new happening around you, these happen naturally
The experience is profound
It is therapeutic. A well-planned trip that disconnects you from the world almost always connects you to yourself.
Since my first trip a decade ago, I’ve always found travelling eliciting this response. I’ve discovered something new about myself each time. I’ve understood myself better after each trip.
The seduction of travel is so intense that you feel you can do it indefinitely. But apart from those who do it as a profession, I think too much travel will stop you from really reflecting
It needs to be infrequent to help you contrast your life in the right manner
I also generally prefer travelling in small groups at best. When there are too many people, the opportunity to truly reflect is lost. You’re more focused on making conversations and being a group.
I also like to write what I think. Unformed thoughts, stray ideas, meaningless opinions, they all go into my notes. The origin of big ideas usually starts here.
They said travel is a great way to explore the outer world. I have realized that travel is a great way to explore the inner world.
Travel to search your soul.