Travel Isn’t About What You See, But How the World Makes You Feel
I long to feel the pangs, the beauty, the nature of change that being in a new environment brings. My Citoyens du Monde Weekly Newsletter.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
It’s hard to believe that I’m leaving Lisbon next week; my European adventure continues, but Lisbon has impacted me profoundly.
For the first time, I’ve lived in a walkable city after realizing that a city is what I want to live in during this chapter of my life.
I can walk beside the river just to listen to music and look into the distance.
Across the street I can look over the city and let my imagination run with a book.
Every day in Lisbon provides the opportunity for an adventure — a neighborhood to explore, a unique park to write in, an alleyway I’ve passed and missed that teems with color, artwork, life…
I’ve been absolutely lost in the beauty, the energy, the vibe that is Lisbon; it’ll be sad to go, but perhaps one day I’ll call this city home again.
I came here listening to an inner calling to get out into the world and follow my innate desire; still, I have moments where I question what I’m truly doing.
My Dare to Dream partner in crime Gregory Benedikt and I often ask one another: What are you grappling with?
Psychologically, mentally, physically, what is it you’re up against?
Who’s your formidable foe in day-to-day life that keeps you on your toes? My answer usually has something to do with my writing journey.
I’m living in Europe because I’ve told myself that this is what I need to be a travel writer.
It’s obvious, I have to travel! So here I am, traveling. But my concerns and self-doubt haven’t dissipated with the sunny weather.
This, I believe, is healthy — I care with all my heart about this. About making a difference in my own life and the lives of others.
I care about savoring each day — this is what I get to do — this is the life I’m striving towards, and I don’t want to waste the opportunity of actually being here.
What would it mean to waste it?
I’ve realized there’s no magic switch that’s going to flip where everything will make sense overnight.
There’s the work, the same work that I’ve been doing all along, and that’s to explore and write about this adventure called life.
I’m committed for the long haul seeking nothing but incremental wisdom and the satisfaction that comes from devoting myself to something.
I’m here to uncover who I truly am, not to become somebody I’m not.
Travel, I’ve come to realize, isn’t necessarily about what you see, but how it makes you feel.
Perhaps that’s why I’m grappling with the notion of being a travel writer, because I’m here not just to see Lisbon.
I’m here to feel the pangs, the beauty, the nature of change that being in a new environment brings.
I write this initially from a park bench, and that in itself is enough reason to be here.
It makes me feel something just to be alone.
But I’m also noticing I enjoy my solitude, as it allows me to study the world around me and use that inspiration to dig inward.
I cherish the feeling of the evening in the cool shade. The birds sing from the trees, and the neighborhood bell tower strikes three times.
A man plays guitar in the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara, the viewpoint that’s become a source of inspiration, creativity and wonder.
A group of students drag their suitcases across the cobblestones. They rattle as they move, and I wonder where they’re coming from.
One girl carries hers in her arms like a body despite everybody else, and that makes me smile.
The Castelo de São Jorge, that ancient castle in the distance, overlooks the city, surrounded by mature green trees.
A woman sells her art before me; the sky slowly melts into a golden evening.
I’m not here just to write about Lisbon. Naturally that will happen, but I’m here to feel life, all of it.
I’m here to connect with people I never would have met, because when we take that step into the unknown, opportunities we couldn’t have imagined begin to present themselves.
Doors open, and the choice is ours to step out of our comfort zone and walk through them.
Our problems, our fears and worries follow where we go.
Yet moving, traveling, exposing ourselves to new stimulus provides for contemplation, especially when alone. We learn how to face them.
We see how life can be, how people can be. And that is what we carry with us.
It doesn’t necessarily matter what we see, only that we’ve opened up our eyes. That is enough reason to get up, to travel, to go somewhere, anywhere.
This is the nature of travel which I treasure; I will always treasure this time in Lisbon, not because of what I saw, but because of who it made me become.
* * This story is part of my weekly newsletter Citoyens du Monde, sent out every Friday morn. Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox on Fridays? Join Citoyens du Monde to take part in the journey!**
Enjoy my writing from this week! 🍂
There’s no correct way forward, but there is a way. Thoughts from the Santa Catarina lookout point in Lisbon, Portugal…
What I’m Listening To:
12 Rules for Life, by Jordan Peterson
This book has impacted me more than any other.
It was the first thing I read of psychologist, speaker and author Jordan Peterson, who’s become like a teacher to me for the last three years, the most formative season of my life.
It sparked my interest in religion and the desire to understand the wisdom in the Bible, the Tao te Ching and Vedic Scriptures.
This book inspires me to be a parent someday, to seek adventure and a worthwhile challenge, and to be the best human being I can possibly be.
Looking for your next favorite read? Check out my reading list!
Fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, classics & contemporary guidance — it’s all there and grows every time I read a book that strikes a serious chord in me.
Reading List
Latest Episode: DTD #74: Life Can Only Improve When You Honor Your Word to Yourself and to Others
There is much we can’t control in life. But if there’s one thing we can control, it’s honoring our word.
On this episode of The Dare to Dream Podcast, Gregory and Vincent get down and dirty into the weeds of their continual journey to improve their own lives, and the lives of others.
One of the most essential ways to improve your circumstances is to do what you say you’re going to do.
Tremendous change happens when you commit to something and don’t give yourself the option to back out for a certain period of time.
Our emotions get in the way; often we won’t feel like tackling the project, the work, the difficult conversation.
But we’ve committed. We must continue whether or not we feel like it at the moment.
When you do what you say you’re going to do no matter what, others will count on you. You’ll gain respect for yourself because you’ve continued to climb, step by step, day by day. You can trust yourself, and you should be proud.
If the podcast makes your week a little brighter, please rate and review the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
Final Goodz 🤟🏻
🎵 Music lyric of the week 🎵
Say yes to sun, Say yes to pain, Say yes to sticking with a city Through a thousand days of rain! — Say Yes to Life, Gang of Youths