My interest is largely around the fact that different physical environments, cultures, religions and political systems have interesting formative effects on people’s psychology and health. Even as shorter term visitors (who are paying attention) we can intuit this. It’s also probably why some of us get attracted to certain places on holiday or even to live a while. The interaction between human beings their biology and their environment continues on many levels wherever we are.
Historically due to the way my life panned out after school I have always travelled, initially by accident and then by design. I consider it one the the most enriching and educational processes in life and I believe in Mark Twains reputed quote that ‘travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness’. I believe exposure to other cultures helps us understand and maybe appreciate our own better and back in return to be more appreciative and sympathetic to other cultures. Perhaps we can also better understand our own place in the world and expand our perspective both personally and globally. I’ve pro-actively created space for travel in my life and I’m beyond grateful for the opportunities I have had and that I live in a country and culture that makes it possible.
I also believe that travel needn’t be to far away destinations, and a trip to a nearby town or a weekend camp out can be as good as going to another part of the world in its refreshing effects on us.
I’ve spent extensive periods of time in South and South East Asia which has informed much of how I think and determined much of my working life and interests. I dragged my children to India (twice) and Indonesia; travel with children is another kind of ride, one that I’m glad I took. I’ve also explored much of Europe.
Now, as my kids are semi-independent young adults, future opportunities for travel are opening up. I’m still a backpacker at heart, but these days generally prefer to go to one place, stay put and get to know people and the culture in that place, sometimes by engaging in an activity or educational program specific to that place.
In this way I like the Anthropological concept that you can potentially understand something universal and large scale about human life by living and trying to understand people and a place on a fairly micro small scale level. This can of course also be done at home if we take an attitude of curiosity in the day to day.
In general I believe in the concept of slow travel as far as possible whether walking, cycling or hanging out in place for longer, perhaps learning or studying something and getting to know local people. I try to travel sustainably as far as that is possible, I do fly but only if it’s for a long enough trip to seem justifiable.
Travel Blog Articles:
Learning Massage in Chiang Mai.
Cycling from London to Glasgow for COP26
Cycling the River Rhine from the Swiss Alps to Holland.
Cycling the Loire Valley in France.
Table Tennis Training Camp in Hungary
World Masters Table Tennis Championships in Rome 2024.
