Fragments…
These pictures here are just a tiny fraction of places I traveled to,
places I explored,
places where I made memories.
Somewhere across the spectrum of visiting more than 60 countries,
and cities, sights, and scenery I’ll probably never even know how to count…
I started noticing a change in myself….
There was a time in my life when
despite wanting to travel and explore more…
I physically couldn’t.
The thought of catching another flight no longer filled me with excitement like it used to,
but with overwhelm and exhaustion.
It was as if I wanted to move,
but my body couldn’t follow…
All I wanted was to
stay home.
Stay local.
Explore what was nearby.
Near me.
Without planes, trains, buses…
which, also surprisingly, sometimes felt more alive than another country.
So I stopped and questioned myself how come…?
Because I always loved traveling.
Adventures.
Exploration.
New places.
New cultures.
Meeting new people.
And I asked myself:
Have I been escaping?
Have I been searching for something outside of myself?
Have I been seeking adventures elsewhere because life felt too boring at home?
And while, I could say yes to each of those questions…
I also realised that traveling
isn’t who I am.
It does not define me whether I travel
or not.
What travel has always been for me,
is a form of
self-expression,
self-discovery,
a way of reconnecting with the adventurous side of myself.
So then…why did I stop wanting more of it?
Maybe because
somewhere between home and another border,
I stopped bringing my body with me on those travels…?
Or maybe because
I found other ways
to express myself,
to feel alive,
to be adventurous… ?
And there is no moral to any of this.
It’s simply the expression of a thought..
one that may change again
at any moment…