I have to admit, I never really understood the notion that people travel to find themselves. Finding themselves like they had lost parts that could be found. I know myself I stubbornly thought. But the more thought about it, the more I started to change my mind on this.
Maybe we don’t consciously make a note that we are going to travel to find ourselves but I think the decision to want to travel is also the decision to expose ourselves to new things that could change us.
Now I think we all travel to find ourselves.
Travelling presents us with more opportunities to make connections either big or small. I recently read a book chapter in Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life about order and chaos and about that sweet spot on the border, where you have one foot planted in security and order and the other in adventure and possibility. For me, this is where I find myself when I travel. On the border of order and chaos.
All our lives no matter where we live contains chaos and order. Perhaps more of one than the other depending on where you live, what you do and the cards you’ve been dealt. But we all experience it. Is it this human connection that we seem to find on travels, untethered from the day to day grind, that adds to this feeling?
By finding the new in life, we edit ourselves. We edit our thoughts, perceptions and actions. Maybe even spiritually and ‘humanly’. We might find a part of another culture that seeems to resonate more with you than what you’ve known. Or a language, dish, person or even place.
You discover parts of yourself that you never knew existed because you have never been exposed to it before. We only know and think based on our experiences in life. And each of us come from such different places with different societal or cultural values. Getting out from where we’ve always known, it an opportunity to see the world from a different pair of eyes. To learn to become another version of ourselves.
And as such, this gives our perceptions of the world to be shaken up whether good or bad. You don’t know what you don’t know. Travel gives us an opportunity to seek.
Through travel, we are able to edit our lives and drive it to where we want. Or at least get ideas on where we want to drive ourselves to. Maybe we don’t know where we want to drive ourselves to yet but we are able to get closer to that idea. It can change how you act or react.
And maybe it’s not all about finding but rather life presenting itself to you in different forms. Appreciating new dance and music. New foods. New people. Or pleasing colour combinations that you have never seen (or seen but not appreciated).
Through all this, it’s the chance to find ourselves.
What do you think? Does everyone travel to find themselves?
Lingo in Transit 
I find the whole concept of “traveling to find yourself” rather cliché, but I do see the truth to it: through traveling, I learn my physical and mental capabilities, as well as their boundaries, and to go beyond what I’d normally be comfortable with at home for the sake of learning something new about a city, a culture, a piece of history…I don’t think everyone goes to find themselves through travel, as some people might choose just to travel for the sake of escaping the doldrums of their life at home, but either way, travel is a fun and fulfilling activity to partake in!
It’s just a overdone fairy tale experience in the movies. That is true but I could also argue that they are finding their inner peace. Regardless, travelling is fun all around.
My heart races as I read through your article. I wanted to scream and tell you that I have the same knot inside my heart about travelling. And the best part? Every time I came back from my travel, I was never the same. ❤
Thank you for your comment! I think it’s a double edged sword haha I’m also so sad to leave my holidays and come back to reality.
Oh, true! But I guess that feeling encourages us to do it again.. and again.. and again! ❤
I related to this discussion. Most experiences we have help us to grow and learn in different ways. Exploring different cultures, foods, meet people who live differently from us, all shed light on new ideas and new ways to see things in our own lives.
It’s uniquely one experience that has all of those melted together.
I’d rather think that I travel to find more of myself. I always learn something about my strengths, my weaknesses. I see myself in others, and learn about empathy. I see different ways of living and I expand the horizons of my mindsets. Travelling simply completes me, makes me fuller.
What a great way to put it. I always wished I could keep in touch with a lot of people I’ve met through travels- so many lovely people out there in the world. But it cannot be.