On Returning

On my return trip from this travel-extravaganza, I got to thinking about what I was returning with. Not having bought any trinkets or souvenirs (I find most of those to be rather artificial honestly), how would I remember this trip? I knew I would record it in this blog and have my pictures, but would there be any lasting changes in me? 

It wasn't like I went on a midlife crises/eat-pray-love journey...I just went to see things, to learn, and to understand everything I'd studied. I went find art, not "find myself" (...I'm pretty happy with myself to be honest and don't think there is much left to find! except a job.) 

Anyway, I came up with three things I think I learned from this little journey of mine...

1. Just because you travel somewhere, it doesn't mean you're automatically a different person and all of your worries just go away. Despite being in a different location, you're still the same person with the same insecurities, the same confidences, the same hang nail you left London with, the same attitude, same smile, and the same approach to life. Changes happen consciously and gradually, for me anyway. Don't expect travel to profoundly 'change' you.

2. Traveling only makes me want to travel more. Just like learning only makes me want to learn more. And reading only makes me want to read more.

3. You don't have to go very far to be in a "travel" state of mind. In the book I mentioned before, The Art of Travel, the last chapter talks about a man who wrote a book called Travels in My Bedroom. He applied a travel mentality, that is a curious, inquisitive, and positive outlook to walking around his bedroom and actually came up with enough material to write a book. I thought about this when I came back to my London neighborhood (which I had completely taken for granted this whole year) and I saw it in a new light. It was more charming than I had given it credit for and by opening up my eyes a bit, I found a new favorite coffee spot that I cannot believe I haven't been in before! I feel like I am now capable of applying this travel mentality, which I know makes me more positive and receptive to new experiences, to things in life that don't necessarily involve flying across the world. 

After writing all of this down in the little notebook at a bar in the Prague airport (I had to use up all of those Czech crowns! why not on beer), I boarded the plane and headed back to Londontown, refreshed and with, I hope, is a little more perspective.