A way to travel

Most people go on vacations to run away from their lives. They arrive armed with detailed plans, color-coded itineraries, and extensive to-do lists of places they absolutely must visit. Watch them closely—they're always in a rush to enjoy their trip, as if relaxation itself were another task to be efficiently completed.

You see them everywhere: wheeling overstuffed bags through airport terminals, expensive cameras with massive lenses hanging around their necks, constantly updating their phones to announce where they've "checked in" on social media. They're essentially running away from their regular running—swapping one form of urgency for another.

The cruel irony? When they return home, they're more exhausted than when they left. They simply pick up their lives exactly where they abandoned them, as if nothing happened. But it doesn't end there. Then comes the obligatory photo upload marathon, disguised as "reliving those moments."

These are inevitably photos of themselves at famous tourist spots—though the famous spot itself is mysteriously absent from the frame, cropped out to make room for their smiling faces. The upload is followed by obsessive tracking of likes and comments, as if those digital metrics were the most important measure of their entire experience.

But is it really?

The Hidden Opportunities

A charming tea stall located on an unconventional route to Kodaikanal, surrounded by picturesque hills and accessible only by an unpaved path, captures the essence of adventure and local allure.

Travel offers us so many opportunities to actually live. You can make unexpected friendships with strangers who become lifelong connections. You can understand yourself better by stepping outside your comfort zone. You can truly see your loved ones in a new light, away from the distractions of home. You can spend uninterrupted time with family, take contemplative walks without destination, read that book you've been meaning to finish, or simply sit and savor a perfect cup of tea in an middle of nowhere but with the best view.

These are the moments that resist social media sharing. They can't be hashtagged, filtered, or reduced to a status update. These moments—the ones that can only be experienced, never fully expressed—are what create real memories and lasting transformation.

Tourists vs. Travelers

Think of it this way: you can be a tourist with a camera, collecting photos, or you can be a traveler with an open heart, collecting experiences.

This is what I mean by collecting experiences: turning an this duos interrupted fishing trip became a lesson in wonder.

The photo-collectors are perpetually disappointed. Bad weather ruins their shots. Flight delays mess up their carefully planned schedules. They miss must-see attractions due to unforeseen circumstances. Their pictures don't turn out as perfect as they imagined. And worst of all, their social media posts don't get the validation they were hoping for.

The experience-collectors, on the other hand, find joy everywhere. Bad weather becomes the reason they discovered that perfect little bookshop where they spent three magical hours. Flight delays create serendipitous encounters—like running into an old friend they hadn't seen in years or striking up a conversation with a fellow traveler that changes their perspective. Missed attractions lead to spontaneous adventures and stories they'll tell for decades. And their pictures? They're always beautiful, because they don't come with pressure and expectations—they come attached to genuine memories.

Travel as Art

Here's what I've learned: travel with a blank canvas.

Paint it with your experiences—the conversations with locals, the wrong turns that led to right discoveries, the moments of pure wonder when you saw something that took your breath away. Fill it with the colors of history and geography you absorbed along the way—not from guidebooks, but from walking ancient streets and talking to people who call those places home. Add finishing touches with the culture you acquired there—the new perspectives, the shifted assumptions, the expanded worldview.

This self-painted masterpiece becomes the ultimate souvenir from any journey. It's something no airport gift shop can sell you, no Instagram filter can enhance, and no amount of likes can validate. It exists only within you, becoming part of who you are.

That's what makes travel truly transformative. That's how travel should be.

The Real Destination

Every journey should add a new chapter to your life and give you fresh eyes to see the world. The destination itself is just a point on a map, a backdrop for your experience. But it's the journey—with all its unexpected detours, unplanned encounters, and unscheduled moments of grace—that becomes truly meaningful.

The people rushing through airports with their overpacked schedules and understuffed souls are missing the entire point. They're so focused on capturing the trip that they forget to live it.

Years later, when you're old and your travel days are behind you, what will you remember? The number of likes on your vacation photos, or the taste of that incredible street food you discovered by accident? The perfectly posed selfie at the famous landmark, or the two-hour conversation with the elderly man on the park bench who told you stories about his city that no guidebook ever mentioned?

The Invitation

So here's my challenge: go explore, but do it with intention. Go enjoy, but do it with presence.

Travel not to escape your life, but to enhance it. Collect moments, not just images. Seek experiences, not just destinations. Let yourself get lost—literally and figuratively—because that's often when you find exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.

Pack light on belongings but heavy on curiosity. Leave room in your schedule for spontaneity. Put your phone away for hours at a time. Talk to strangers. Say yes to unexpected invitations. Sit in that café a little longer. Take the scenic route.

Because at the end of the day, the best souvenirs aren't the ones you can hold in your hands—they're the ones that hold a place in your heart. The best travel photos aren't the ones that get the most likes—they're the ones that bring back a flood of sensations and emotions when you look at them years later.

Travel is not about ticking boxes or collecting passport stamps. It's about opening yourself to the world and letting the world open something new within you. It's about returning home not just with luggage full of trinkets, but with a mind full of new perspectives and a heart full of stories.

The world is waiting. How will you choose to meet it?