Monday, March 23, 2009

Citizen of the World

The world is more abundant in diversity than one could ever imagine. Every distant place has a history and a future that makes it appealing or appalling to those who inhabit a different place. As a child, one dreams with visiting remote locations for which one develops a certain fascination. Many of those places are so magical that they exist only on one’s dreams or in the pages of a fiction book or science fiction novel, but many others form part of the planet one inhabits. After one grows older, one tends to devise a plan to visit the places that are real from the extended catalog one created as a child. One begins to accept that many of those places will only be visited in dreams as well as decided that certain others are not as attractive anymore. At the same time, the reasons one might want to visit a certain place might very well differ for the reasons one had as a child. One might travel due to a work related issue as opposed to having pleasure trip. One might travel with the family, friends or alone but always hoping to learn and enjoy. Yet, many people travel because they do not have any other choice, such as immigrants who want to improve their living conditions not because they wish to leave their motherland. Traveling is, thus, a subjective activity that nonetheless holds a passion for many; and whatever the motive, a lifetime is not enough to tour the world.
For most people, the first trip is with the family and does not necessarily involve long distance. Any trip out of town will classify for this category. However, in order for it to amount to an actual traveling experience it would require an overnight stay at the destination. More often than not, these trips mean a visit to a relative who for a reason or another lives in a different town than does one. But there are others who experience family trips of the kind that count as vacationing with the family and are the type of trip one tells people at school for years to come. Further, there are those family trips that mean a complete relocation of the family, as do immigrants.
As one grows older, one learns about places one previously only had vaguely heard of and a new desire to travel to those places, which attract one, begins to grow. Thus, when the resources are available, one travels more prominently usually with friends to those new places. One travels with friends because there is more freedom to enjoy the newly discovered grounds. At this time, one designs new ways in which one can enjoy the world. A list is constructed that contains the places one must absolutely visit and those others one would rather not go to. Also in the list are places one wished to return to. The world is constantly changing which provides another motive to travel around it.
Then, one hopes and attempts to be prosperous in order to continue indulging in the pleasure one acquires through traveling. Sometimes, such prosperity brings with itself the necessity to travel due to work related business. That kind of travel is rather draining because one must be in and out of places while doing work and does not have time to enjoy the trips, especially when the destination is a place one had never before been to. Nevertheless, one must appreciate such opportunities since they open the door to new destinations; and, of course, pay for the other delightful trips.
The first place one must absolutely admire through the art of travel is the motherland. Whatever this might be, it requires special attention. Yet, traveling must not be limited to such destinations within the international border of one’s country. One must travel to become acquainted with planet one inhabits. Every continent must be paid a visit. Every type of environment must also be visited. One must not only travel to be amused and pleased with what one experiences, but one must also learn from each trip. Details must be carefully observed in order to completely absorb what the encounter with a new place has to offer because the fact that one is foreign does not mean one is intellectually challenged.
One must be a traveler that takes pleasure in the journey as well as the stay while unwinding tensions, not a tourist who enjoys only the glamour in retrospect.

xoxo,
Poison Drops


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