We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started,
And know the place for the first time.
Never has T.S. Eliot’s poem felt so true, than during this time of Covid-19. As someone who used to be an avid traveler, I find myself using this time to reflect back on the travels I have done when one still had the freedom to roam freely. Whether it was following an ancient pilgrim route from northern Nepal into Western Tibet or sailing along Indonesia’s magnificent coast onboard a phinisi cruise ship, but also just being part of the street food scene in Yangon as I enjoyed their local tea leaf salad.
I have always been deeply curious in other cultures and thoughtforms and find it fascinating in how we as humans have different ways of being in the world and are able to express this with great variety.
Born to Dutch-Indonesian parents, this curiosity was something that I inherited already early on. Having moved around a lot as a child, travel has shown me that home does not need to be limited to a geographical place. I saw that we can find a sense of belonging wherever we are when we realize that the ‘other’ is actually not all that different from oneself. Don’t we all long to be seen, to be loved and understood?
In my recent book Where the Light Begins, I describe the transformative experience travel has had on my own life. I started to shift from travel being a way to check off destinations on my bucket list, to it becoming a way to connect more deeply with the people and the spirit of a place.
Likewise, I started to appreciate the inner journey as much as the outer one as I became aware that our external world is often a reflection of our inner world and that there’s an opportunity for awe and wonder wherever we find ourselves.
While it is true that at the moment travel is still largely restricted, I believe that this doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to stop exploring. Travel can be done in many different ways: through reading widely, through having an open mind to the immediate world around us and through engaging with people outside our usual circles.
Yes, I will admit that there are days when I am feeling nostalgic about travel, but then I find comfort in knowing that all around us there’s an opportunity to embark on a new adventure if we are willing to embody an explorer’s mindset.
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Cristy Elmendorp has organized pilgrimages to Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Nepal, inviting travelers to reconnect with their inner selves. She is the author of Where the Light Begins: A Seeker’s Journey for Truth, Freedom and a Place to Call Home, a memoir of self-discovery, adventure, and spirituality interwoven in an epic coming-of-age story. To order her book click here. (Link: http://wherethelightbegins.com/)
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