How Travel Can Help You

I’m a firm believer in the power of travel. I think we learn a lot about ourselves and about the world in general. One of my favourite poli sci Profs used to tell me that you’d learn more about a country on the drive from the airport then you would in any class, and I think that’s true. 

Driving from the Dublin airport into town I saw more cranes than I ever had in my life, surrounded by working-class areas. Dublin was (and is) a growing city and I believe will end up being a real gem of Europe in the next few years, with a strong touch of its working-class roots.

Driving from the Reykjavik airport (technically Keflavik) I saw…almost nothing. Barren landscape. My friends and I kept looking at each other in awe, one remarking to me “where are we?”. It was so foreign, alien, but beautiful in its own right, and strong. Quiet, too. It was a good metaphor for the Icelandic people, I’d say. Well, until you get a few drinks into them. Then the quiet part goes out the window and you remember that these people are the bloody Vikings.

Besides Ireland and Iceland I’ve traveled through parts of the US, Canada and Europe and now I’m looking for my next adventure. I’ve jumped between several different ideas of destinations in the last few weeks, with each giving me something different. I want my trip to mean something, to give me something. What that is, though, I’m not sure. So here are my destinations, and why I’m thinking of each of them.

A note; I will more than likely be doing this trip solo. While I don’t mind traveling with others, I like to be able to set my own pace and have my own space at the end of the day, something that’s difficult when traveling with others. Some of these may involve a tour group, but in general I do intend to be traveling on my own.

Thailand

This was my initial thought. I’ve liked the idea of going to places that either not many people go, or that people don’t generally know a lot about (not to mention throwing myself halfway around the world and being farther from home than I’ve ever been). I started having the idea of visiting Thailand just around the time the last bit of civil unrest erupted there, of course. Here I would not know the language and be fully and utterly immersed in a very alien culture. I’d be able to live like a king on the budget I’ve set and would have enough time to really get a good feel for the place.

However, I’m also a guy who likes comforts. I’m not saying I need a four star hotel, but a comfy, private room and not being surrounded by craziness are musts for me. I’m not convinced I’d be able to find this in Thailand from what I’ve read. This would be a big adventure and really push my boundaries. But I’m not sure that’s what I want out of a vacation. 

The UK

This is the next one that came to me. The plan would be to fly to London with a BritRail pass and hit a few of the big cities in the UK. Spend some time really exploring all that London has to offer, take a day trip to Paris on the Chunnel (I know RyanAir is cheaper, but, c’mon, it’s a tunnel UNDER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL), go to Cardiff and stand on top of Torchwood 3 (geeky reference there) and go to Edinburgh, marvel at the English countryside and pick up some awesome scotch. I’d buy a prepaid sim card and be fully connected everywhere I went, with a GPS in my pocket. I’d ride the British rails, stay in comfy, small hotels, set my own pace and have a grand old time.

And there’s the bit of the problem there. I’d relax, eat my pub food, drink my beers and just chill. Probably go to bed early most nights, since I’d be on my own, go through more than a few books, watch a bit of British TV (probably stay in Saturday nights, since Doctor Who would, I think, be back on, and actually get to see it live) and yeah…not much else. It would be fun, definitely. But it’s been done. It’s a very safe trip where I’d have a very nice time and come home without any real stories, but lots of pretty pictures and lots of books read. It’s a very safe bet. But that’s all it is. Safe.

Also bloody expensive, since I’d be staying in my own room and will probably do my best to stay in actual hotels, as opposed to hostels. Flight over wouldn’t be too bad, but my time there would be super expensive.

Australia/New Zealand

I’d probably only end up doing one of these, but I’m grouping them together because for me they have roughly the same sort of appeal. I’d probably go with a Contiki tour group, which I did before and enjoyed, get my own room and do one of the tours where you see the sights but also spend some time on beaches, relaxing, swimming and doing some more physical activities. This tour is the one that caught my eye, as it hits most of the Aussie areas I’d want to see. I was reminded of how I felt in Iceland climbing the glacier; I didn’t want to do it really, but at the end, standing sweaty on top of a glacier, overlooking the coast of Iceland…it was a great feeling, and that kind of challenging activity is something I’d like to experience again, and it seems like Australia or NZ would be able to do that for me. It also satisfies my urge of throwing myself halfway around the world. 

However, it’s not crazy challenging, and does not really qualify as a relaxing vacation. It’s somewhere in the middle of the two. Also, the way I want to do it would not be cheap in the least.

Iceland

Sort of Option 4 is just going back to Iceland. I’ve been there before but, honestly, if you gave me a week to live, I’d hop the next plane to Reykjavik and spend my final days there. Well, I’d import friends and family, of course. But if I could only leave Canada once more in my life, I’d go back to Iceland. Its natural beauty was stunning, its people were friendly and just…the air was crisper, the water was cleaner, the roads were quiet. I loved it so much and fully intend to go back there someday soon. But a year later? 

Plus what I’d really like to do is drive the Ring Road in its entirety, which would be a little dangerous to do solo and not a small cash investment. Iceland is doable on my budget, but not the way I want to do it. I’d go, spend a few days in Reykjavik, do some tours of the areas north of there, maybe even do Golden Circle again (but at night, this time) and then fly up to Akureyri and spend a few days in the northern capital, see the sites around there. But, again, this is not cheap and would end up with much the same issue as the UK, in that I’d spend a lot of time relaxing at night, reading and getting a good bit of sleep, but not really pushing myself much. Though I suppose I could do another glacier climb or horseback riding…but still.

Conclusion

So that’s where I’m at. Truthfully, no matter what I do, they’re all good options, I think. Even the UK, which is probably the one that would least push my boundaries and move me towards my goals, would give me a few days of relaxation and comfort, which is nothing to be sneezed at, especially on a vacation. 

What are my goals with travel? To push myself, to do things I wouldn’t do otherwise and learn more about myself and the world. To be able to talk about the shops in London, what the conditions on the street are like in Bangkok, what the salt water feels like in Australia and how the crisp Icelandic wind feels in my hair. I think travel broadens you in this kind of quiet, imperceptible, but powerful way. It recharges you. It gives you a confidence in yourself that I don’t think anything else can, even if that’s just a confidence in the kind of person you are (say, someone that likes a nice, relaxing vacation). This is how I think travel can help you and I.

So the question left is, which destination will help me best?

What do you think?