I like the person I am when I travel

I had a discussion about travelling with my mom and I told her I like to travel because first, I just enjoy being in trains and second, I have friends all around the globe so it’s nice to see them every now and then. As our discussion continued, I also remarked that I like travelling because I like the person I am when I travel more than I do the person I am when I’m at home.

When I pack my bags and close the home door behind me and head to a new adventure, I become a different person. When I’m on the road, I’m more relaxed and less worried about stuff. I’m more socially open and end up talking with new people and making new friends. I’m more resourceful and my default mode is to solve problems at hand instead of getting anxious about them.

Small annoying things that would cause me frustration in day to day life would just be potential funny stories and part of the flow of the universe as I travel.

It might be partially because when travelling, you have less control over how things go. The trains will cross the continent at their own pace and when you’re in one, all you can do is look outside the window, read or listen books, play games and ponder life. When you’re waiting for one, all you can do is wait. The train won’t arrive any earlier no matter how much you worry or stress about it.

I sometimes wonder how differently people in my life see me based on whether they only meet me when I’m travelling compared to those who I hang out with on the local scenery.

Recently, my travelling has been very limited which I’m not particularly excited about. First the pandemic and then the unemployment that followed it, I can’t wait to get my life in a better order and myself back on the rails.