The world isn’t my oyster.
I never truly realised how much seeing the world meant to me, or more accurately, the absence of it and my inability to do so. I mean, obviously I know it is a core part of who I am and it is incredibly important to me, but I yearn to have it…I pine to explore the vast wonders of this planet again. For now, however, I have YouTube drone videos and my old travel photos.
Last week, I had a bit of an epiphany writing my poem “Interdependence”, a mental exploration of how our universe is intertwined, and as I was imagining these connections a number of settings, places and environments were popping into my head. I know it is such a terrible cliché, but physically being somewhere is a totally different experience than seeing an image or video of the place. I found myself hankering to connect with those experiences again.
It is this connection with the world, and its beauty, that drives my desire for travel. That and creating new experiences, meeting new people and developing a greater understanding and appreciation for Mother Earth and the cultures which inhabit her.
Nature’s landscapes are beautiful and as an avid gamer, there is certainly no denying the inspiration they have on creators when making their virtual worlds. I’m currently playing through Hideo Kojima’s “Death Stranding” and it is so reminiscent of Iceland and the Faroe Islands (places I've never been) – which makes traversing through it all the more enjoyable.
Man-made elements of our world can be just as beautiful – says me taking out my camera for the thousandth time to take a picture of yet more architecture. Both (nature and man-made) work to evoke a sense of awe in me, a sense of wonder and astonishment which feels transcendent, a feeling whose origin is unknown to me.
The Covid-19 global pandemic has made people think and reassess a lot in their lives when it comes to travel – from border closures to did I pack enough masks? With the trans-Tasman travel bubble opening up from Monday 19th April, many people will be (cautiously?) itching to go. Personally, I think I’m still a few years away from resuming international travel though I have loose plans to travel interstate before then.
And that’s what seeing the world is to me at the moment, like a long-distance relationship. I write to her, I think about her often. I reminisce the times we were together previously, and ponder the moments we will be together again in the future. For the time being, I dream, I fantasise…but there’s nothing quite like the real thing.
