My Travel Motto


Long depressing winter is finally over in Finland, and seems like many people here in Finland will start planning for summer holidays. Some people may be thinking of spending 2 week-holiday in Spain and other people might plan to visit Southeast Asia.

Traveling has been attracting people since the old ages and a travel styles varies a lot depending on people, their purposes, and their values.

That’s why everyone has own story and memories and always get new ones after they travel and gain new experience.

Also, it seems that each person has own travel motto based on their experience and so do I.

mottos
photosforyou / Pixabay

In 2012, I happened to watch this movie in a plane of Air Canada to Vancouver from Osaka. Back then I was a bachelor student who loves traveling, but my traveling style was changed after watching this movie released in 2010.

More specifically, I came across one impressive line in the movie gave me a hint for my traveling style.


My Travel Motto:


If you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.Elizabeth Gilbert

 

This is a quote from Eat Pray Love, an American movie based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Source: Gilbert, E. (2010). Eat, pray, love: One woman’s search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia (Movie tie-in ed.). New York: Penguin.

Back then, I liked planning everything beforehand and believed that following what I planned perfectly is the most efficient and low-stress way to get to know the culture, learn new things, and develop myself. 

However, the upper lines by the main actress, Julia Roberts, at the very end of the movie taught me that the travel plan can be shaped by people or contingencies you come across on your journey, and it happens to you because there should be something you learn from that. 

You might have a clear goal or bucket list when you go traveling, but it is really fun to follow your intuition and go with the flow. 

Furthermore, this way of thinking can also be used not just for traveling but also for other things such as your decision-making related to your career or challenges.

Something unexpected might happen to you after you start new challenges, or you might meet someone new at an unexpected timing.

It is up to you if you try to avoid those happenings or ignore what those people say to you.

However, this story teaches us there might be a reason why those things happen to you. Believing that everything happens for a reason might bring you something beneficial.

Also, this story would probably have different messages depending on the situations of readers.

Anyway, I hope that you all will find new part of yourself or learn something new when you have a chance to travel or be in the other cultures.