I remember being on a bus near Milan in Italy and learning that we could drive for an hour in three different directions and be in three different countries. Can you imagine what that was like for this 15 year old girl from Melbourne, Australia - a place that requires hours of flight to reach even one other country? Suddenly the world seemed a different, accessible place.
That was one of my first ever 'I can't believe I'm actually here!' moments.
It's the moment that you stop and think wow, totally present in that particular moment. Enjoying. Experiencing.
Everyone's 'I can't believe I'm actually here!' moments are different. Anything can trigger it, as long as you're open to the experience.
It might be your first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower as you walk through the streets of Paris but it's just as likely to be listening to the busker playing the violin on the Paris Metro.
It might be the first signs of dawn breaking over the Taj Mahal or it might simply be the cacophony of sound that hits you as you walk out of the Delhi airport.
It doesn't matter. These moments aren't rationed. It's whatever stops you in your tracks and makes you go 'wow'.
It's that moment you feel so blessed, grateful, privileged to experience.
That's why I travel. Searching for that next 'I can't believe I'm actually here!' moment.
Sure, there are moments at home that I treasure but it's when I'm traveling, away from my everyday life, that I'm most receptive, most present in the moment. Not hurrying from one place to another, a list of tasks running through my mind.
It's when I'm traveling that I'm most ready to enjoy. To notice the other, the foreign, the different. To appreciate the sounds, tastes, smells, sights. I'm most ready to be amazed.
That's why I travel.
Me on my first day in India after having been blessed at a temple.
So, I thought I would introduce a regular feature here - Travel Bug Tuesday. (Couldn't resist a bit of alliteration!) I'll share photos, stories, tips - anything and everything travel related that occurs to me. As always, feel free to comment and share with me.
It's serendipity that I post this travel feature today as I have just this afternoon booked plane tickets for my next trip. I'm feeling butterflies as the trip that began with a passing thought has become official. It's that moment where I know it's definitely going to happen. When excitement builds before mundane details need to be organised. When I look forward to more 'I can't believe I'm actually here!' moments in the near future.
I would love to hear your 'I can't believe I'm actually here!' moments.
Travel Bug Tuesday: sharing my search for the next ‘I can’t believe I’m actually here!’ moment.