::welcome to slow rock::

Friday, June 07, 2013

Date a boy who travels. Date a boy who scoffs when he hears of guided tours, for the word “exploration” makes much better sense when it is led by your own two feet and guided by your instincts. You might find him at the tourist information counter, rummaging through the tons of touristy brochures for that all-important area map. And he’ll be sure to keep it with him even long after the trip, for the streets and landmarks shown help capture all his thoughts and experiences, and helps him relive the feeling of being in that place whenever he looks at it.

You’ll know him because he keeps a stash of “useless” memorabilia, from purchase receipts, bus tickets to hostel booking confirmations. His Facebook page will show photos of his travels, and he’ll be sure not to upload every photo but only those few that will serve to summarise the trip and tell everyone what a beautiful place it was. When he travels, he travels with his homeland in mind and reminds himself of the things that are normally taken for granted back home.

Buy him anything that will help him to survive the night should he find himself stuck in some unknown place - a multi-tool, a first aid kit, torchlight, or a compass. You may scoff at the idea of a compass, but he’ll tell you that north is all you need to find your way around. Once he gets home, he gets stumped when people ask him how the trip was, because there are just too many experiences in one to briefly summarise in a sentence. Ask him specific questions, get him talking. Once he knows you’re genuinely interested in his experiences, he’ll share more.

He'll tell you that what defines a journey isn't really the place, but the company. He'll tell you that company doesn't mean being engaged in a continuous conversation - peace and quiet are conversations in themselves. He'll tell you that he'd rather spend his time thronging the streets instead of going for a relaxing massage. He'll tell you of how the world passed him by as he sipped his coffee at a coffee joint. He'll tell you that there isn't a "best" part in the trip, and if he ever mentions one, he most probably meant "better". Cos' he'll tell you that the word "best" is a blatant, convenient mask to hide all the other aspects that are beautiful in their own right. And if you're still listening at the end, he'll invite you to join in his adventures...

Entered by platinum at 1:46 AM