Comments on: Mind Over Matter: Travel Starts With You http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/ Online travel magazine dedicated to exploring travel in the 21st century. Offering travel news, compelling interviews, online travel tools, and more. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:15:16 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Bill http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93211 Bill Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:13:55 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93211 "What really matters in life".... Now we're slipping from sociological to theological. "What really matters in life" is what fundamentalists wage war over. I think it's more personal than that. Paraphrasing Freud, we need work that we find (personally) meaningful, something to look forward to and friends. Works for me. Travel is the thing I look forward to. And backwards too, I guess, in the form of fond memories. And certainly, getting back to your article's advice, balance in money, job, relationship, health, and creativity fit with what Freud was saying. If there were a way for society to help us discover, early in life, what we were really good at, and aimed us in that direction, ....... Enjoyed the article and chatting with you. Keep writing. And traveling. Ciao. “What really matters in life”…. Now we’re slipping from sociological to theological. “What really matters in life” is what fundamentalists wage war over. I think it’s more personal than that. Paraphrasing Freud, we need work that we find (personally) meaningful, something to look forward to and friends. Works for me. Travel is the thing I look forward to. And backwards too, I guess, in the form of fond memories. And certainly, getting back to your article’s advice, balance in money, job, relationship, health, and creativity fit with what Freud was saying. If there were a way for society to help us discover, early in life, what we were really good at, and aimed us in that direction, …….
Enjoyed the article and chatting with you. Keep writing. And traveling. Ciao.

(Report comment)

]]> By: Ekaterina http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93208 Ekaterina Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:36:26 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93208 Dear Sean and Bill, thank you both for very insightful comments! It's funny, but when I was writing the article, I hesitated myself for a second about the term 'West' (after all, I am a sociologist, and know the trouble around the definition), but left it after all, and Sarah just picked up immidiately my own fear. Ha-ha! To what misery is related is a big question. I was miserable in Amsterdam. It's a lovely place, but somehow I knew that I wouldn't be happy there. But before leaving the place, I first worked out on why I was miserable and why did I want to leave the place. In the place I am now (a small town in the UK) I am happy. And it is still a capitalistic society. One can find his or her happiness everywhere. But I had to learn first that I didn't want to be attached to material values, even if I do enjoy some luxiries in life, and don't see anything wrong in indulging oneself in some of them. But I do feel a general crisisof identity indeed. Society needs some change, but in which form? Personally I think that we need more awareness about what really matters in life! Dear Sean and Bill,
thank you both for very insightful comments!

It’s funny, but when I was writing the article, I hesitated myself for a second about the term ‘West’ (after all, I am a sociologist, and know the trouble around the definition), but left it after all, and Sarah just picked up immidiately my own fear. Ha-ha!

To what misery is related is a big question. I was miserable in Amsterdam. It’s a lovely place, but somehow I knew that I wouldn’t be happy there. But before leaving the place, I first worked out on why I was miserable and why did I want to leave the place.
In the place I am now (a small town in the UK) I am happy. And it is still a capitalistic society.
One can find his or her happiness everywhere. But I had to learn first that I didn’t want to be attached to material values, even if I do enjoy some luxiries in life, and don’t see anything wrong in indulging oneself in some of them.
But I do feel a general crisisof identity indeed. Society needs some change, but in which form?
Personally I think that we need more awareness about what really matters in life!

(Report comment)

]]> By: Bill http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93199 Bill Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:32:53 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93199 Hi Ekaterina, It did sort of take a sharp left turn there, didn't it? I realize that the point was about the state of mind while traveling, and I do agree with the thrust of the article. And your writing was good, but you definately made a reference connecting the West and misery that obviously not everyone agrees with. (And that's not necessarily a bad thing). And you article is both about travel AND sociology so it's difficult to separate them. "Wherever you go, there you are" just as easily applies to travelers. I remember once sitting at a table in a small diner in a very large desert. We were all marveling at how the colors and formations changed about every 20 miles or so. As another group sat down at the table beside us, we heard one of them say "I'll be so glad to get out of this desert. Rocks and sand, rocks and sand. Will it never end?" We still marvel at that. But I'm not sure that the "misery" that some people carry with them is in any way the product of Western values or even capitalism. Maybe it's a result of just being better off and having time to fill. Sean, in his comments, alluded to "a crisis of identity". Identity crisis is by and large a luxury of the materially successful (at least in the large numbers we see in the West) whether it's L.A. or Saudi Arabia. Poor people just don't have time. And they don't travel much (unless they're escaping something). So I don't think that the people who take their miseries with them when they travel have anything more "sociological" than an unfortunate personality. Otherwise more Westerners would be miserable when they travel. That hasn't been my experience. Sorry if I'm rambling. You hit it just right about balance. That's the key isn't it. But gee that's hard to do. Keep up the interesting writing, please. Hi Ekaterina,
It did sort of take a sharp left turn there, didn’t it? I realize that the point was about the state of mind while traveling, and I do agree with the thrust of the article. And your writing was good, but you definately made a reference connecting the West and misery that obviously not everyone agrees with. (And that’s not necessarily a bad thing). And you article is both about travel AND sociology so it’s difficult to separate them.
“Wherever you go, there you are” just as easily applies to travelers. I remember once sitting at a table in a small diner in a very large desert. We were all marveling at how the colors and formations changed about every 20 miles or so. As another group sat down at the table beside us, we heard one of them say “I’ll be so glad to get out of this desert. Rocks and sand, rocks and sand. Will it never end?” We still marvel at that.
But I’m not sure that the “misery” that some people carry with them is in any way the product of Western values or even capitalism. Maybe it’s a result of just being better off and having time to fill. Sean, in his comments, alluded to “a crisis of identity”. Identity crisis is by and large a luxury of the materially successful (at least in the large numbers we see in the West) whether it’s L.A. or Saudi Arabia. Poor people just don’t have time. And they don’t travel much (unless they’re escaping something). So I don’t think that the people who take their miseries with them when they travel have anything more “sociological” than an unfortunate personality. Otherwise more Westerners would be miserable when they travel. That hasn’t been my experience.
Sorry if I’m rambling. You hit it just right about balance. That’s the key isn’t it. But gee that’s hard to do. Keep up the interesting writing, please.

(Report comment)

]]> By: Sean http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93188 Sean Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:37:12 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93188 Wonderfully crafted and thought provoking piece Ekaterina. I must say i am a bit puzzled by the philosophical arguments about Eastern vs Western culture etc. My take on it is that the article is a whimsical reflection of some spiritual aspects of travel and not intended to be an in depth critique of western society and culture or a comparative study with that of the East. But there again maybe it is me who is missing the point!? Although i agree with you that your initial frame of mind and mood can influence the subjective experience of travel i also think that the converse is true in that the experiences of the travel can change your outlook and this can be both positive and negative. However, it is certainly true that if you are inherently unhappy within yourself you can't escape this by travelling but more fundamental changes are needed either within yourself of to your own perception of yourself. Nor can you escape such feelings of misery by joining a dancing class or reading a book. These may provide some respite, temporary relief and distraction but won't cure the problem. And i think this may be where some of the problems with Western Culture lay which you refer to in your article? That much of the misery we feel today cannot be bought out of with money or materialism and nor can any lasting relief be expected from television, social networking, the internet or any of the escapisms provided by the entertainment industries or mass or popular culture. There is something very subjectively different from the misery in western or developed areas of the world, which i agree with what you seem to allude to in that it is a spiritual sickness, a crisis of identity, an emptiness, to that of the more physical and environmental miseries e.g. homelessness, starvation and poverty that are more characteristic of developing countries. I personally believe that there is plenty of resources in our world to provide for everyone. The issue isn't lack of resources it is how they are unfairly and unevenly distributed that leads to poverty but that's another story altogether. And this is me trying not to get involved in a politico-philosophical debate!!! Keep up the good work! Wonderfully crafted and thought provoking piece Ekaterina. I must say i am a bit puzzled by the philosophical arguments about Eastern vs Western culture etc. My take on it is that the article is a whimsical reflection of some spiritual aspects of travel and not intended to be an in depth critique of western society and culture or a comparative study with that of the East. But there again maybe it is me who is missing the point!?
Although i agree with you that your initial frame of mind and mood can influence the subjective experience of travel i also think that the converse is true in that the experiences of the travel can change your outlook and this can be both positive and negative.
However, it is certainly true that if you are inherently unhappy within yourself you can’t escape this by travelling but more fundamental changes are needed either within yourself of to your own perception of yourself. Nor can you escape such feelings of misery by joining a dancing class or reading a book. These may provide some respite, temporary relief and distraction but won’t cure the problem.
And i think this may be where some of the problems with Western Culture lay which you refer to in your article? That much of the misery we feel today cannot be bought out of with money or materialism and nor can any lasting relief be expected from television, social networking, the internet or any of the escapisms provided by the entertainment industries or mass or popular culture.
There is something very subjectively different from the misery in western or developed areas of the world, which i agree with what you seem to allude to in that it is a spiritual sickness, a crisis of identity, an emptiness, to that of the more physical and environmental miseries e.g. homelessness, starvation and poverty that are more characteristic of developing countries. I personally believe that there is plenty of resources in our world to provide for everyone. The issue isn’t lack of resources it is how they are unfairly and unevenly distributed that leads to poverty but that’s another story altogether.
And this is me trying not to get involved in a politico-philosophical debate!!!
Keep up the good work!

(Report comment)

]]> By: Ekaterina http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93169 Ekaterina Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:46:28 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93169 Hi Bill, I think that since Sarah set the tone for all comments with her remark about the West (which I don't think should be disussed here, but at a sociological forum, and which was not the primary idea of the article), everyone got the wrong idea about what I wanted to say. Or maybe, I am just a bad writer, and the word West comes as the main item. The article is not about the West! And since you ask, I am actually extremely happy at this moment. I would say, hilariously happy! Especially that the debate about the West makes me giggle. It's the amount of self-help material available here which puzzles me in the 'West' and that people around are miserable...and buy more and more of self-help books to find a way out of misery. The article was about the state of mind while traveling...by the way Hi Bill,

I think that since Sarah set the tone for all comments with her remark about the West (which I don’t think should be disussed here, but at a sociological forum, and which was not the primary idea of the article), everyone got the wrong idea about what I wanted to say. Or maybe, I am just a bad writer, and the word West comes as the main item.
The article is not about the West!
And since you ask, I am actually extremely happy at this moment. I would say, hilariously happy! Especially that the debate about the West makes me giggle.

It’s the amount of self-help material available here which puzzles me in the ‘West’ and that people around are miserable…and buy more and more of self-help books to find a way out of misery.
The article was about the state of mind while traveling…by the way

(Report comment)

]]> By: Bill http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93166 Bill Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:48:54 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93166 Question: So why are you still living in the West if you think it contributes to your misery? Is it the money? Isn't that the main reason the "West" is miserable? There's an old saying: "No matter where you go, there you are." Hmmm. Question: So why are you still living in the West if you think it contributes to your misery? Is it the money? Isn’t that the main reason the “West” is miserable? There’s an old saying: “No matter where you go, there you are.” Hmmm.

(Report comment)

]]> By: Ekaterina http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93081 Ekaterina Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:15:47 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93081 Hello Niamh! Thank you for your comment! We make place called home ourselves, and sometimes, it is just the state of our minds which determines the way we look at home. To come back to what Daniel has said, some people make home out of travel, and there is a beauty in exploring and experiencing new things. Some of us are more domestic. Even if I love travelling, I need a base, a place where I want to go back. I had a brief look at your blog, - great stuff! Very interesting for me, as I have been on the move in the past 12 years:) Hello Niamh!
Thank you for your comment!
We make place called home ourselves, and sometimes, it is just the state of our minds which determines the way we look at home. To come back to what Daniel has said, some people make home out of travel, and there is a beauty in exploring and experiencing new things. Some of us are more domestic. Even if I love travelling, I need a base, a place where I want to go back.
I had a brief look at your blog, – great stuff! Very interesting for me, as I have been on the move in the past 12 years:)

(Report comment)

]]> By: niamh http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-93077 niamh Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:14:05 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-93077 Great story Ekaterina and so so true! It took me a long time to work that out, but there are few places in the world that you can't make a home out of , if you really try. I'm back living in Dublin after a super-long absence and was very nervous about it would all work out - but using the same ways of making friends and finding activities in more ' exotic' countries is making an adventure out of my hometown. It really is all in your mind. Great story Ekaterina and so so true!

It took me a long time to work that out, but there are few places in the world that you can’t make a home out of , if you really try.
I’m back living in Dublin after a super-long absence and was very nervous about it would all work out – but using the same ways of making friends and finding activities in more ‘ exotic’ countries is making an adventure out of my hometown. It really is all in your mind.

(Report comment)

]]> By: Ry Snow http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-92991 Ry Snow Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:34:09 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-92991 Good insight! I haven't travelled yet but I sure plan to, I hadn't really consided that travel could be miserable if I were miserable, I've just been assuming that travelling will pick me up if I'm down and trumps everything else. I plan to start really travelling summer 2010 and my only real consideration has been my girlfriend of 5 years, do I want to travel if I'm going to be worried how my prolonged absence is going to affect that relationship? It's a good thing I've still got lots of time to think about this lol. Good insight! I haven’t travelled yet but I sure plan to, I hadn’t really consided that travel could be miserable if I were miserable, I’ve just been assuming that travelling will pick me up if I’m down and trumps everything else. I plan to start really travelling summer 2010 and my only real consideration has been my girlfriend of 5 years, do I want to travel if I’m going to be worried how my prolonged absence is going to affect that relationship? It’s a good thing I’ve still got lots of time to think about this lol.

(Report comment)

]]> By: Ekaterina http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/07/17/mind-over-matter-travel-starts-with-you/comment-page-1/#comment-92985 Ekaterina Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:47:30 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2459#comment-92985 Hello Daniel, I do agree with you. I also travel all the time. I am changing countries of residence like someone might change a perfume. And i do enjoy it, even if for now I would love to stay where I am now...and just travel for pleasure... Hello Daniel,

I do agree with you. I also travel all the time. I am changing countries of residence like someone might change a perfume. And i do enjoy it, even if for now I would love to stay where I am now…and just travel for pleasure…

(Report comment)

]]>