You don’t need to go across the world to experience travel

You often hear the quote, ‘Travel far enough that you meet yourself’, but what does this mean? Well, the more you travel and discover the world around you, the more you also learn about yourself! However, something this quote doesn’t speak to is that it doesn’t matter where you are going, it’s about the experience you have, not the destination that has transformative qualities. Essentially, you don’t need to go across the world to have amazing travel experiences.

The best part of travel is that there is always somewhere else that you have yet to explore and learn from. While yes, to most travel means taking a flight or going somewhere far from home, travel can be as simple and going across town to spend the afternoon in a different part of the city or exploring a nearby town.

By definition, travel means to “make a journey, typically of some length or abroad.” This makes clear travel can take place whether you are travelling 10,000 km away or 5 km. How does one set limits to what this length is? You can’t, just like you can’t set limits to your imagination! It’s time to venture out of your bubble and I speak from experience!

I live in London, Ontario. Yes, that is right, the real London located right here in Canada – not to be confused with London, England. I did an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree here, at Western University, but rarely made much of an effort to venture outside of the “Western bubble” of the campus and Richmond Street area. The reason for this was because the “Western bubble” was the area I was familiar with, I felt comfort in, it was convenient to and from my home or from my school and was where the people I knew spent their time. As a result, I developed a narrow sense of what London is and has to offer.

Admiring the sun setting on University College Hill, Western University.

Fast forward just over 8 years later to now and I make it a point to travel whenever I can, even if that just means checking out a new local coffee shop with a friend or biking along an unexplored path. Every city has a lot to offer than what meets the eye. It’s a matter of making the effort and taking time for yourself to do so.

Try something new and gain a new experience and by getting out of your comfort zone and explore somewhere else you might have yet to experience. For example, I like to hang out with friends and explore different spots around London. It gives me the opportunity to catch up with them, but also change up my everyday life and share a new experience together. One of my favourite places in London is Locomotive Expresso not just because they make good coffee, which they do, but because of my experiences shared there. A really good friend and I tried it out together for the first time last year, had our first cortados, and just took time out of our everyday lives to reconnect over great coffee, a few games of Bananagrams, and good conversation.

 

Coffee for two

Banagrams

Constantly seeking new experiences within the area we live allows us to develop a heightened sense of place and ensures we don’t get bored by the same old, predictable routines we can sometimes fall into without even realizing it.

Isn’t travel exciting? Rethink the way you perceive travel. It’s not a matter of where you’re going, rather your experiences along the way. Maybe now, you might consider making your way to the City of London, Ontario? Regardless of where you live, make an effort to travel to different areas nearby rather than just far, you might just gain a new appreciation for your everyday surroundings, which can in turn can enrich your everyday life with special travel experiences.

Remember you set the scene to your everyday life and it’s good to change it up. Happy travels!

Do you have an experience exploring your city or a travel experience you would like to share? Don’t forget to like, comment, and share if you found this post helpful – I post a new blog post every Sunday!

Ciao for now,

Karen