The true essence of travel cannot be felt only at the final destination and its attractions; it must also be felt in the other small things that contribute to your journey and stay.
The bumpy roads and the long journeys.
The music on your iPod as you watch the clouds drift past your aeroplane window. The fresh fragrance of a new city. The white hotel beds with freshly laundered sheets, and the pleasure you feel at having the hotel breakfast. The excitement of wearing new clothes. The satisfying click of your camera. All these are small, precious moments of joy that come with travelling to new places. Travel is a whole package of emotions, knowledge and experiences. It provides the most precious memories and the most exciting stories of our lives.
Travel is not a modern trend; it goes back a very long way. Names of some of the most renowned explorers of the early modern age that should not be forgotten are Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama. Travel has been an essential part of human life since remote times, although for reasons that may vary.
You may be a business traveller or a backpacker. You may be a hiker or a solo traveller. You may travel to take a break from your routine-driven life, or to satisfy your strong desire to travel. You may even not travel because you hate jet lag or do not think your expenses are worth it. Whatever the reason, travel is the button that revives your life, and you need to press that button from time to time, according to what you can afford.
Are you an adventure fan?
You love adventure. The desire to take risks runs in your veins. You would like to take a holiday where you could hike, dive, bungee-jump or camp in some exotic place. However many risks adventure travel may carry, it also brings benefits. Adventure lovers keep in good physical shape, as well as learning some new skills.
Are you looking for serenity?
You feel the need to recharge your body from time to time, and you prefer to do so by going on holiday to resorts that help you relax and relieve a little of your stress. You feel a break is necessary, going somewhere where the sound of car horns and the constant noise of ongoing construction can be replaced by the lapping of waves and the chirping of birds.
Are you a lover of luxury?
You travel by top-of-the-range means of transport and prefer to stay in the best-rated hotels, which offer luxury meals and the best services, so that you have an enjoyable stay. This type of travel gives luxury lovers extravagance and comfort at the same time, making them feel like kings.
Are you an eco enthusiast?
You may be a lover of the sea or the forest; either way, you are fascinated by nature and its beauty. You spend most of your holidays in the midst of nature, whether on safari, stargazing, or visiting national parks and trying to see the "big five". This is a sustainable form of tourism, and it helps raise income for local communities.
Creating memories, being adventurous, meeting diverse people, exploring unique cultures and learning more lessons through travel is a whole other way of becoming aware of the outside world
And these are not the only categories of traveller – there are many more. Whichever category suits you, what matters, after all, is the fact that you are a traveller.
Not everyone can be a globetrotter, but creating memories, being adventurous, meeting diverse people, exploring unique cultures and learning more lessons through travel is a totally different way of becoming aware of the outside world. That is because you will have more good moments to remember and more stories to tell your grandchildren.
Do not forget to pack your smiles and memories. And to travel, to discover new places and, above all, to discover yourself.
