Therapeutic Travel

Therapeutic Travel

Last year during this time, I was spending a lot of my time in Bangkok. This year it looks like Sri Lanka will be my frequent destination. And of course, Indonesia will always be there in my itinerary whether for business or for pleasure.

The thing I like about being on the road is that you always arrive at a new destination with a renewed enthusiasm to work. When you stay in one place for too long, you tend to get lazy and your bad habits start to take over you.

A friend asked me yesterday, if I ever feel bored or lonely whenever I'm travelling. Very rarely so. There's always something to do. I'm always interested in the local people's culture and habits. I look forward to wandering the city streets alone, whenever I get the chance. If I have my camera with me, I also try to capture some of the interesting sights along the way. And one is never short of people to chat with--even beggars can be interesting people to talk to.

The opportunity to be alone is good, even therapeutic, because you get to reflect on a lot of things. Back in KL, life is often very hectic: you are constantly occupied by family, friends and errands. Sometimes you cannot see things in its proper perspective. I often see people getting caught up with their emotions, being angry and agitated over very insignificant things. Only when you get some distance between yourself and your regular life, will you know how to differentiate what's important and what's not.

For people who are in a relationship, short periods of separation can actually help to enhance it. Absence can make the heart grow fonder, provided both parties are commited to each other. We tend not to see our partner's good points when we meet them too often. The quarrel of lovers is very tiresome because it is usually over very petty things. Smart lovers know how to maintain a "strategic distance" between each other so that the strength of their love becomes evident: you can only feel the strength of a rope when you stretch it out tautly.

Travelling alone is good. It can help keep your relationship with your loved ones back home strong and alive. Of course, for some married men, travelling for business is also a great opportunity for them to fool around a bit. But that's another story for another blog entry :-)