You’ve travelled more than you think
How I learnt to appreciate the small sights in life…
While talking with friends recently, travelling and holidays came into the conversation. When I mentioned that I had never been on a plane before, everyone turned to look at me as if I was some sort of alien. Then I began to think, I don’t know anyone else who hasn’t been on a flight either. As my brain often does, it started to overthink. What kind of person has never been on a plane, especially at the age of 23?
It’s more than the plane though, I realised that I’d barely travelled at all, and I was insecure about it. I went out of the UK once when I was around 12 years old, it was a school trip to Paris. Kindly funded by help from the school, I had a great time and began to daydream about the trips I would go on when I was older. Years went by, and there never came another moment when I went abroad. I saw my peers go on yearly trips with their families, and accepted that my working-class family couldn’t afford this privilege.
Social media also didn’t help with my travelling insecurities. Every week, ‘influencers’ seem to be in a new country, showing their luxurious life. Social media has affected the travel industry massively, but that’s a different story…
If you’re reading this and you’ve felt the same type of way, I would like to introduce a different mindset. It probably turns out you’ve done a lot of travelling (and sightseeing) in your time, but you don’t realise it. Take a look at past social media posts, personal images, or just memories of places you have been. For example, it could be something simple like taking a different route on a walk, and you find a new place. Even though you haven’t travelled very far, you are nevertheless discovering a new place.
With my new mindset, I began to look at my old social media posts and began to appreciate the sights I have experienced. Instagram has this great feature called ‘highlights’, where you can pin multiple pictures to a ‘story’ on your profile. I began using this feature in 2021, to capture memories and places that I have been to.
My travel insecurities slowly began to fade away, as I re-lived fond memories of places I have been to. Here are two of my favourites:
I saw Chinatown in London properly for the first time in 2022. Whilst this may be a well-known, average sight for the common Londoner, it was exciting for my humble Kent self. In the 1950s, when a few Chinese restaurants began to establish in the area, London’s Chinatown began to take shape. Within a decade, the neighbourhood had developed into a centre for Chinese culture as additional businesses and services moved in. From this, Chinatown has remained one of the many thriving areas of London. The streets were decorated beautifully, as I explored the many places it has to offer.
The second place I want to mention is the beautiful Canterbury cathedral. Despite being a student in the area, it had never occurred to me that I should visit. One day, my partner and I spontaneously decided to go, which was the right decision. Once I had arrived, I wondered why it had taken me so long to visit this stunning cathedral. Being one of the oldest cathedrals in the world, it was founded in 597, and then completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077. Its breathtaking architecture is a sight to behold, and I particularly loved the stained-glass windows. If you haven’t visited yet, I highly recommend you do.
After reminiscing on old memories, my travel insecurities were put to rest. It’s so easy to constantly compare ourselves to others in life, especially when it comes to travelling and experiences. Social media almost makes it look like a competition, as we constantly have to be travelling to new places and taking hundreds of pictures for our followers to see. But this is real life, and it's simply just unrealistic. I’ve learnt to appreciate the ‘smaller’ places I have been so lucky to have travelled to, and you should too.
