Saffia Osman V. Taha

Why are millenials so obsessed with traveling? Imagine yourself in an unfamiliar place with picturesque view. A place you just usually see on movies, where mountains and ocean collides. You are there, back against the fine sand with the sun shining on your face, the cool air brushing trough your skin, so can’t help but smile with the smell of sea breeze, taking it all in and saying with a sigh of relief “ah this is life”. When yesterday, you’re in the middle of the crowd, exhausted in a day’s work and all you can smell was body sweat, all you can feel were elbows and arms crashing on you because you’re inside that jam-packed MRT again trying to get home as soon as possible, so you can finally lay in bed. Imagine you are somewhere away from the usual crowd, traffic, and never-ending lines; away from familiar faces, the serious and stressful situations you often encounter. Now it’s only you, the sand and the sea. Even an indoor plant needs sunlight from time to time right? Travelling is an escape, a curve in the linear path. It allows us to break our usual routines. We are able to experience new things, meet new people; taste food we didn’t know existed. We discover more of what we are cable of doing, we learn, discern and reflect. Being in a different environment invigorates our hearts and purifies our soul in one way or another. It creates an opportunity for us to break away from arduous reality. a breath of fresh air. Of all this cliché why people love to travel, living in the 20th century made us desire traveling highly because of the influence of social media. The articles, blogs, news feeds about travelling and of course the essence of getting that picture perfect Display Photo. We elevated, from being motivated to being obsessed about travelling. The urge is always there, to actually be on the places we usually see on Instagram, Snapchat, Tumbler etc. That exalting blog we just read about “How to Travel to Japan with a Thirty Thousand budget” or “Things you can do while in Vigan”. Then there is this hype given to a certain place in movies. Add that to the news feed of your friends spending their weekend at Sagada or Batanes. The different Instagram photos of celebrities in Europe, Japan or New York, with breathtaking background and stunning OOTD’s that is always LookBook ready. It’s an eye opener, knowing that travelling especially in other countries is now within our reach. When you see that officemate who spent her weekend in Boracay or Australia makes your realize that going to places is not as equivocal as it may seem to be. We discover new destinations and how to get there. Reviews made it easier for us to set expectation and decide. Thanks to trip advisor, Air B&B and that periodical Seat sale. Then we will come across that buzzfeed video about the different perks of travelling and that tipid tips posted on facebook. Now, we are just one step away from sweeping of our feet into the world of unknown. It is fascinating for us knowing how traveling can make such an impact in our life. Inbetween the hustle and bustle we have something to look forward. A chance to engage in an adventure and invest not on material things but on memories, because at the end of the day no amount of money can equate to the feelings (May it be out of good or bad experience) that travel can offer. Go out there, get lost and be found. So that when we are old enough to just stay at home, we rather be the person with a mind full of amazing memories, than someone who has a bank account full of money (though I wish we could be both). Be someone who would just sit in your front porch but be somewhere far away at the same time. With your eyes closed you will still see that picturesque view, feel the sand and smell the sea breeze while saying with a sigh “Ah I certainly had a good life” Saffia Osman V. Taha, 25