A Bit of Sunday Philosophy

Whenever I look at this picture, the red color reminds me of Australia.

But this view is actually from Patagonia.

El Calafate, Argentina

It’s often said that the more you travel, the better you realise how huge the world is and how much there is to see. That’s true, but I also think the opposite is true!

My mind often associates new places I visit with somewhere I’ve already been, giving me a familiar feeling and making it easy to quickly feel at home.

Granted, I haven’t been to any remote African or Amazonian villages, Antarctica, or Machu Picchu and I doubt I would get any sense of déjà vu in such unique spots of the globe. But in their nearest towns I might.

I was surprised to feel at home in such exotic-sounding places as Buenos Aires (just like Paris!), Uruguay’s Punta del Este (just like Spain!) or Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego (the weather was just like our weather at home!)

All this just makes me think that we’re all pretty similar, after all. We all drive cars, keep pets, value family, work hard, and wish for a peaceful life.

It feels pretty random how we all call one place home and other places foreign.

This is all at first glance, of course – the casual visitor’s point of view. Sometimes you don’t notice all the adorable cultural quirks until you’ve been somewhere long enough and managed to take a peek under the surface.

That’s when seemingly familiar places start feeling excitingly exotic. And that’s when I feel like I’m really traveling.