WHY YOU SHOULD TRAVEL
I don't know if it is the recycled air, or the rehydrated food that I love more about flying. You know what, I think it's a tie between the racial profiling in the security lines and long layovers. Ok, sarcasm aside (for now) its always been worth it to go through a few hours of first world problems in exchange for a chance at an adventure.
I wanted to break the thick vails that shelter my perspective and feed my prejudices about the world. I wanted to, meet people that had different songs to sing, different dances to dance, different ways to love and different stories to tell. I wanted to investigate the stories that were once removed from our eyes and ears and ultimately used to silence our voices.
The first time I traveled outside the United States I came back with one phrase “That which does not belong to you, is borrowed", the deception of ownership and control had shown a new shade to me. What belongs to Portia? What belongs to anyone ? I felt I had justified the titles that had been given to me by society and myself; all to find out they are but incomplete stories, with a lot of illusion and seduction. This idea of control and ownership is a comfort to my consciousness and it really helps me sleep at night, but I have a feeling it’s a bit of a placebo.
At least this is what I have gained from traveling, so far. Maybe you are afraid of the challenges that traveling presents; weigh your fear with ration and calculate what is gained versus what is never known at all. Sometimes the more difficult the challenge presented, the moment of fulfillment can be all the greater. You may be presented with the opportunity to gain adversity and, increase your tolerance level. I often find, true independence is sometimes lost with all the wonderful technological advances, everything is not always a google search away when traveling to certain corners of the world. The liberation that is commonly granted when being with yourself, and finding little dependence on others, while being graced with sharing, community, and kinship.
Yeah man, traveling is a privilege, it’s like turning on a flashlight in a dark room and realizing how much there is to discover.