The Value of Travel

It's been said that those who travel will change the world.  Actually, wait.... no one ever said that (or at least not to my knowledge, anyway).  But I suppose it's still true in some sense.

And this is sure: travel will definitely change you.

I've had the opportunity of traveling to many different countries throughout my lifetime.  I spent the last four years living in Mainland China and currently reside in Hong Kong.  After finding so much value in my experience abroad, I stayed.

 

Here are two posts I wrote regarding my time in the Mainland.  They are separated by four years of time and are each special for different reasons. The first speaks of initial impressions and the latter of personal reflections.

Adventures In China // Whispers From China

When it comes to travel, people usually tell me why they don't do it... the most popular reason being finances.  But in my experience, there are ways to travel cheap (even when it comes to flights).  For example, I once traveled from China to the Philippines for a dollar and only paid the tax ($60.00USD).  Another time, I traveled from America to China for only $350.00USD.

I promise you that good deals are available to you as well!

 

And yes, airfare will probably be the most costly part of your trip.   But you can't afford to let money keep you from the invaluable experience of exploration.  Simply, look for ways to save and start saving for a trip now.  Or do what I did and move to a country of interest.

My employer paid for my airfare! (and much more)

Here's something I quickly realized about Asia... once you're here, it's much, much cheaper to travel between countries.  So if you want to see a lot in a short time, come to Asia.  During my time in China, I visited 3-4 countries every winter.  And for two months of travel time, I always spent between $1,500-$2,000USD.

It's a sad thing when finances come between a person

and the potential of a great adventure!  

Here's why...

Throughout my journeys, I've learned so much about different cultures and the people within them.  I've eaten some of the best foods I've ever tasted.  I've had some of the most meaningful conversations on breezy beach-fronts and warmly lit patios.  I've discovered how much I enjoy overnight bus rides and getting all snuggled into the little bed-seat-things.  I've swam in some of the clearest of waters I've ever seen.  I've witnessed joy on the faces of those living in devastating poverty.  I've slept in crazy degrees of heat and soaking wet on cold mountain tops.  I've seen rampant prostitution and the foreigners who pay for it.  And I was even in a motorcycle accident once...

(Sorry about that, Sunneye!)

I've met people who saved lives during Typhoon Yolanda and saw the mass graves it left behind.  I've created musical compositions on wavy boats rides with luggage and passengers falling into the aisles.  I once chased an octopus through the ocean and witnessed it transform instantly in color from sandy-brown to black.

I've made some new friends like Sönke, here.

After arriving home from a trip to Haiti, I laid on my bed and began to sob uncontrollably.  It was overwhelming to think about the tin shacks my new found friends were sleeping compared to what I had.  In that moment, if I could've switched places with even one of them, I actually would have instantly.  The desire passed through my mind as the tears continued to come.  I did my best to embrace the moment and allowed it to sink in.

For me, it was a way of not letting their difficulties go on forgotten.

I remember being in the capital city of Cambodia during the funeral of their king.  We found ourselves outside his palace as masses of locals meandered through the streets.  Another time, I caught a fish right from the ocean with my bare hand and, in an attempt to surprise a friend, swallowed it whole right in front of her (it worked).  I feasted upon a Stone Fish once as well, which is the most venomous fish known to man.  And then there was the time I clung to the shell of a giant sea turtle and together, we descended downward into the sea.  One time, I even stood face-to-face with a bear in the wild.  It was on its hind legs looking at me and then suddenly began to storm through the brush.  I honesty thought it was coming for me and began to fumble over my bear-spray.

(I quickly learned that you gotta have that kind of thing ready!)

I've repelled down waterfalls.  I've explored giant caves.  I was once in a semi-dangerous kayaking situation in the ocean with waves and rocks and jellyfish all around.  Another time, a monkey jumped onto my back and I wasn't sure if I should try getting it off or not (I didn't).  During an intense rafting trip through the Indonesian jungle, a crazy storm suddenly broke out with a torrential downpour of rain.  Lightening began to shoot all around us and the thunder was so powerful you could feel it.

After Hurricane Katrina had struck in '05, I joined up with a team in an effort to bring relief to the survivors.  I remember wandering off one day and found the sea.  I stood at its shoreline.  It was so quiet that it became eerie.  There were no birds in the sky or rustling winds; no children at play or signs of life.  A gloomy darkness had settled in on the horizon as the tides seemed to ebb and flow with sadness.  As I observed the movement of the water, I thought of those who'd been swept out to sea, never to be seen again.  I wanted to feel their terror.  I wanted to know the pain their loved ones felt.  I wanted them to be free.

I suppose, really, I just didn't want it all to have been for nothing.

Shoes and other belongings were scattered up and down the shoreline as well.  I considered the lives that once interacted with them and it all seemed so temporal.  My eyes began to wander to and fro along the once happy beachfront and were soon fell on something else entirely.  There at my feet was a bone nestled into the sand.  It was out of place much like everything around it, and alone.

Was it human? I wondered.  Was it from someone's supper the eve of the disaster?  Or was it just a dog-bone from the local pet-shop, on sale for a $1.99 and then... not?  I would never know.

All I knew was that the shoreline was now its new home.

I could go on and on with stories like this, but here's what I'm getting at...

You really don't know what you're going to encounter as you venture into the unknown.
But the journey is full of wildly wonderful potential and could change your life.

And lastly, I wanted to share a secret with you...
something I've learned in all of my travels.

If you travel solely for the sake of travel - for what you can get out of it - you'll most likely return home feeling tired and maybe even a little disappointed.  But if you can shift the focus of your journey and care for others along the way, you'll return feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.  It's funny how that works!

So what are you waiting for?

Go and experience it for yourself!

But before you do, check out this video first.

Some friends and I traveled throughout Vietnam and this is what happened!

My Stamps

Israel, Jamaica, Thailand, Singapore, Haiti, Korea, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Mexico, Malaysia, Vietnam, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, The Bahamas, Cambodia, Tibet, Indonesia, China.

More to read... 

A Discovery In China // Distant Lands