There is something intrinsically peaceful about travelling even when the world view is that we are all burning away. I love to see places that are unbothered about their tomorrow and couldn’t care to perceive anything beyond their present moment.

I’ve missed being where they are and maybe that’s the reason I miss my childhood; the summer vacations and the undeterred confidence that anything and everything was possible/achievable.

I see my fellow travellers with their newborn babies, toddlers, single adults, and the more senior people, being bothered by the smallest of inconveniences. Their life problems, not so different than my own, have somehow become a part of their everything routine and identity. They can’t seem to describe their lives without the mention of all the challenges and hardships they face because they can’t see the light without considering themselves martyrs for their families.

I miss those days when I could squat like a toddler, I mean beyond 90 degrees, without thinking about it. I miss not having to think about growing up but planning all the trips and activities I would do when I could trip alone. I miss the feeling of wanting freedom without acknowledging what freedom truly meant.

We, the people, have developed a very pessimistic view of the world and society and what’s worse is that we have started to believe our own falsehoods in order to satisfy our egos as at least this way, we would be right about something in our lives.

We have moved past the ages of appreciating beauty in nature and things people create and entered times where we find more people criticising those who do not appreciate beauty. We have become so judgemental and opinionated that we can’t find a way to let others live their lives without commenting on their actions because that has somehow garnered more attention than being resourceful and keeping true to your own life and its adventure. A lot of us, not all, have lost our zeal for life and health because we have become so busy trying to outdo those who don’t have any impact on their lives whatsoever.

I close my eyes each time it rains so I could just focus on feeling one drop at a time. That chaos of this nature is so peaceful that I am able to drown out the noise of indecision and conflict. Each time I see the clouds below the mountains we are trudging along, I am able to imagine a world completely different from the one I know exists below them. I am sure that if we all live in that image of my imagination, we would be happier and further along in our journeys than we are.

But wait, now I see the problem with my view of the world, now I truly appreciate the lesson I am being taught. My vision, although prosperous, has nothing to do with others’ happiness. It is all about how I want to see them happy. It is all built from my ego and I can’t let that be the reality of the world I want to live in. I realise I am too full of my own opinions because of all the pain I have seen in the eyes of others.

My lesson is, there is nothing wrong in this world unless the world comes to you and tells you it needs help. Of course, there are things that are morally wrong, that need to be dealt with without requiring an outside voice because our inner voice will tell us what needs to be changed to make it a safer place for others but our main challenge is to differentiate between our inner voice and our ego. Both hail from the same place, within, but we have to play out each scenario in our heads before we decide to speak or act upon it. We may become the source of someone’s pain while intending to be a source of inspiration.

Let’s explore ways to dive deeper into ourselves to understand what triggers our ego and what triggers our inner voice. Maybe we will find solutions to our problems within ourselves.

Note: This April (2023), I travelled to Bali with my colleagues from work since this was a company-sponsored trip for the best performers in 2022. I was lucky to be on this trip as I didn’t really feel like I deserved to be there but more on my imposter syndrome in other articles.

I love observing how people act on their travels, in foreign lands, and among people, they hardly know. We visit beautiful temples, beaches, and other touristy places throughout the trip. I will write a blog about my Bali experience and share travel tips, places to visit, and things to do in my next article.