By: Mohammad Alsaadi
I can certainly say that if you have never travelled, you have missed out on a lot of opportunities to get to know yourself. Travelling is like a hammer hitting a cast iron to make a sword, a pen, a cog or thousands of other things. I have discovered something precious and unfamiliar in myself every time I travel and I am sure that I will discover even more on my next trip.
My first experience with travel was in the same country when I moved from my home city to another to start university. This was the first time I had moved away from my family and at that time, my understanding of the words 'independent person' was very limited! Yes, it is the individual who must rely on themselves to prepare food, wash clothes and coordinate time between studying and having fun. This new sense of independence was both beautiful and messy.
This perception I had formed of what it meant to be an independent person did not last long and after one year, I found myself forced to travel to another country. The same culture and language, but different land and different people. During that period, I began to realize more accurately what it meant to be a responsible person; it is not something to be taken lightly. In another country, far away from your home and family, you have to work hard to help your family, to pay for your house rent and personal fees; you have to fight to be yourself. I still remember the satisfaction I felt at that time. Though there were tough days, I discovered that I had enormous energy and that I was stronger than any circumstances I might face.
My third experience of travel had the greatest impact on my personality. After three years of being away from family, I found myself facing travel again, but not to the motherland! It was to a much farther place, in another part of the world, to a new culture, a new language and people I had never imagined I would meet.
Do I regret my decision to travel so far? Absolutely not. This journey was a turning point in my life; bringing the knowledge that I could build a house behind every sea, to know that only the sky's the border of a country, to have a big fantastic family of all colors, religions, and nationalities, to see yourself in others and to see others in yourself. I became aware of the popular view that the whole world is just like a book; if you don't travel, you will never read more than one single page. I realized that if you were going to reject new food, ignore habits and avoid people, it might be better to stay at home. My experiences traveling have shown me the main purpose of our being on this earth; we are here to know each other.
Traveling offers the oldest wisdom and is one of the greatest teachers you might ever meet. It is the magic that makes you see yourself from several angles and discover how mighty you are. If you want to know yourself better, travel with open eyes and an organized mind, and don't forget to let your thoughts travel with you.
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