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Traveling is Therapeutic!


Travelers are always discoverers, especially those who travel by air. There are no signposts in the sky to show a man has passed that way before. There are no channels marked. The flier breaks each second into new uncharted seas.

  1. - Anne Morrow Lindbergh, North to the Orient


Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.

  1. -  Miriam Beard, an author


Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

  1. - Denis Waitley, (www.quotationspage.com)


Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy. He that rises late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.

  1. - Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)


I may not have traveled extensively yet but for the travels I have made so far, I realised that traveling can be therapeutic in more ways than one. You must be crazy! You mused. You are dead wrong, I am not crazy to say that traveling can be therapeutic. This comes from my personal experiences with the travels I have made so far.


Yes, you are right that traveling takes a toll on your pockets paying for airfares, train tickets, bus tickets, other transport costs, etc. I don't have any momentoes of the fares I paid except for the receipts or flight booking details as keepsakes. But they do keep records of the dates that I traveled to a particular destination and the memories of the visit to the place.


I learned many life lessons on my travels. I have learned to better appreciate what I own and what I have in my life. Seeing the poverty-stricken in some places and the rich flaunting their wealth in other places, I feel somewhat that life is complex - why such disparity when we are all humans one way or another? Well, we can waste days and time to discuss, explain, expound, express our views, at the end of it all there will still be no satisfactory answers except awards or citations for some, and for some others they leave a legacy as a philanthropist, a great man or a great woman.


I may not be any richer than the rich I met or know during my travels, but I am contented with what I have and what I own. I feel less stressed and less anxious about my life and living when I learn to be contented. In many instances, I consider myself blessed though I had often wished for more.


Beginning at the bottom of the list, I have my regular three meals (though most times I eat five meals a day! It seems I live just so I can eat!), and life can be quite comfortable except for the days when temperature hits the 34℃ or higher. I travel in comfort to work and for leisure. What more can I ask for? Singapore is indeed a fine city! (fine: meaning 'of superior or best quality'; 'of high or highest grade').


There are disparities in living standards everywhere I travel to. I never find two places the same in living standards, but I find many of these places relaxing with the laid back lifestyle, and the shopping is particularly an enjoyable affair! I have concluded that happiness is the "experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude" and working hard is the route to "all things easy".


So agree with me that traveling can be therapeutic?








Joseph Hong

Managing Editor

+65 8333 7118

joehong@impressionsonline.sg