Travel. It isn’t just a word in the vast vocabulary of English. It’s an emotion, an irreplaceable one at that. Something more powerful and mystic than humane imagination and knowledge. Simple yet complex. Mundane to some and hypnotizing to some.
Shall it be mountain climbing at Mount Everest or letting the bewitching flowers of Singapore mesmerize you, or let it be riding a camel in the pyramids of Egypt, or let it be skydiving over the ultimate heaven in Oahu, Hawaii, or going on to see the world from the utmost altitude made by man in Burj Khalifa, or let it be roaming in the endless wonders of vegetation in Azerbaijan, or let it be crossing rivers cautiously whether a stingray is peeping down there or not in the Amazon, or let it be the great falls of Iguazu Falls, or let it be getting drowned by the beauty of the crystal-clear waters of Laos, or walking through the streets of Paris with the air steering clear along with the smell of freshly baked croissants, or just mindlessly wandering through the extraordinary skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi, it’ll always serve as a cherished memory to you.
The list is infinite, but its memories are intact and preserved. Travelling isn’t just about capturing time through a photo; instead, it’s about living in the present, in the moment, to experience the deepest or oldest creations of the world.
One’s intellect is never satisfied until one gets to experience almost everything; the need to quench the thirst established by the curiosity of the mind is utterly mind-blowing yet true. That knowledge of knowing how this world works and it is what makes travel worthwhile. Not just that, it’s about getting to escape the mundane reality of our lives and dive into something greater in this huge world that
We call Earth, which is beyond humans’ instincts; we don’t understand her, for her simplicity is more than we can comprehend. Yet we continue to travel trying to contemplate and ponder how she was made. That is what travel is. To make mistakes, to learn, to analyze the surroundings, to enjoy and to live.
Vietnam is truly the land of the gods if I must say. Describing Vietnam’s serene and simple beauty is most certainly not a convenient task. It’s a country of diversity where you’ll find every single thing enchanting and mesmerizing. From its alluring deep-blue waters to the captivating steep mountains to its bewitchingly beautiful temples and sights, everything will catch your attention at the very first glance. Understanding Vietnam’s culture is a small moment of discovery every second in taking a step closer to understanding and viewing life in different aspects.
One of the most striking features of Vietnam’s heritage is its ancient civilization. The Vietnamese people have a profound connection to their ancestors and their traditions. Family is also valued over individualism and is the basic foundation for a good society. Vietnamese people consider family as the most essential and cherished part of life. Vietnamese people also believe in worshipping their ancestors. They share a belief that worshipping might give comfort and hope for the future.
Vietnam also has an innumerable number of festivals including traditional ones and those which are adapted from other cultures combined together. These spirited and diverse festivals reflect the country’s rich culture, heritage and traditions. One of the most famous and widely celebrated festivals is TET (Dunan New Year). This festival celebrates the arrival of spring. It is believed that your actions on this day will reflect how the rest of your year will go. Many people travel to spend quality time with their families and friends.
Vietnam also has varied forms of music and dances in each part of it. Vietnamese music’s most remarkable feature is to express and convey feelings that words can’t capture, and its most striking ability to lure people into its wondrous melodies continues to amaze me. One of the most famous forms of traditional Vietnamese music is Nhạc Cải Lương. Vietnamese dances are known for their elegance, grace and meticulous manoeuvres. Through their expressive movements, Vietnamese dances can communicate a wide variety of emotions ranging from passion, dedication, soulfulness, misery, greediness and desire, etc.
Vietnam is also famous for its cuisine. Its balance of texture and ingredients makes it the epitome of good food. Vietnam’s culture is solely fascinating and beguiling. It is a blend of many cultures with its own distinction.
You have so many things to admire about this place if you ever get the chance to experience it yourself. The reason I talk about the greatness of this is to make people comprehend that travel isn’t just about looking and experiencing certain places; rather, it is completely immersing yourself and losing yourself and surrendering to that place to completely understand the complexity yet simplicity of that place.
Now, to truly earn the name as a traveller, one must accomplish the art of taking comfort in a variety of places and feeding their curiosity about the deep-rooted values, cultural beliefs and traditions in that particular or specific place. It is not about just enjoyment; instead, it is a journey of love, loss, pain, patience, understanding, commitment, resilience, passion, determination, happiness and nostalgia. Instead of indulging in one’s natural instinct of taking photos in the name of “capturing the moment”, one must attain the actual indulgence by losing their mind, body, and soul to the place while enjoying the tranquillity and peace. Of course, for one’s own content, one may take pictures but must not lose the spark of getting hypnotized by the world’s forgotten wonders.
Life is short yet beautiful when done the right way, and travel is exactly what is to be done to make life purposeful and meaningful. Not only does a person achieve enlightenment, but also receives great wisdom, which they may pass on to future generations. Although this may be a tad melodramatic, truer words would have never been spoken. Travelling is thus the pinnacle of pleasure one can experience countless times in one’s life.
By: Rithika Kannan
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