Anybody who likes to journey is not going to be stunned by Tom Leegstra’s perception that journey transforms us for the higher. However few of us have taken the time to research that transformation. In The Transformative Energy of Journey: How one can Uncover Your self by Exploring the World, Tom shares simply how journey adjustments us, educating us to be extra affected person, extra tolerant, and extra open to new concepts, views, and variations. Generally journey and the experiences it brings may also be a little bit uncomfortable, however in these conditions, we’re all of the extra prone to expertise transformation.
The Transformative Energy of Journey has all the essential recommendation you want about touring, however past basic items like getting passports and remembering to pack toothpaste, the guide explores the right way to go about setting objectives in your travels-goals that aren’t nearly seeing a sight, however maybe about studying extra concerning the particular particular person you’re touring with, or simply studying the right way to chill out and have enjoyable, or studying to understand historical past or artwork, and most significantly, studying about different cultures and realizing on the finish of the day that persons are mainly all the identical.
Tom begins by asking us to take off our clothes-not actually however metaphorically. It is time for us to be able to dress ourselves in new experiences. Journey makes you are feeling bare and weak, however Tom reminds us that in these weak occasions is after we can develop probably the most. “When you could have taken off your whole garments, you could have nowhere to cover that actual, weak self.” Then you’ll be able to start remodeling that self into an excellent higher model of you.
In fact, the world is stuffed with locations to journey. Tom is a real world traveler who has visited forty-three nations. For this guide, he centered on three wonderful and numerous nations which have helped rework him: France, India, and Cuba.
France is the journey he went on along with his girlfriend, a visit that solidified their relationship and finally led to their marriage. Sure, they visited the Eiffel Tower and all the opposite romantic Paris sights, however in addition they frolicked simply attending to know one another in stunning romantic settings so they might decide how appropriate they’re.
In India, Tom realized some wonderful issues about himself and the way he reacts to discomfort and feeling uncontrolled in an odd setting. He additionally had some actually great insights. This is his remark about visiting the Taj Mahal:
“Being there creates a surreal feeling of oneness with the individuals who crafted the positioning, although they lived miles and miles away on a special continent than I do and centuries earlier than me. Being there in particular person made me really feel I used to be linked to these individuals a technique or one other. It is a feeling that’s laborious to place into phrases, however it made me really feel small and really humble.”
All through the guide, Tom sprinkles in Professional-Ideas and Reflections on his experiences. He additionally teaches us to assume for ourselves. For instance, when he acquired to Cuba, he met somebody who had simply arrived by herself from Mexico Metropolis. He states: “I had heard horrible and scary issues about Mexico Metropolis, however she had explored the town by herself and appeared to haven’t any concern in any respect. I discovered that unbelievable. I believed I used to be a wimp for not having been to Mexico Metropolis but. That taught me once more an exquisite lesson: Do not consider every part you hear within the media. Maintain it actual! Do your individual analysis and ask vacationers who’ve been there.”
This assertion reveals a significant benefit of travel-it destroys false prejudices and preconceived notions. Tom states, “I’ve come to consider that journey is the perfect and quickest strategy to bust our personal assumptions or biases about individuals, locations, and cultures.”
Tom additionally covers what to do when issues go improper. The underside line: keep calm. He says, “Whereas such occasions might initially appear like they’re occurring to us, we are able to be taught over time that these occasions occur for us. There are classes for progress we are able to take from these occasions and their penalties.”
The guide concludes with appendices that present further assets and discover the right way to take care of ambiguity and different points throughout your travels.
In the event you’ve ever needed to expertise Cuba, India, France, or any nation, it is a nice guide to begin with. In the event you like to journey, you’ll completely love studying about Tom’s experiences. If you’re nervous about touring, then develop into an armchair traveler by beginning with this guide; you might simply discover that it makes you courageous and prepared for an journey.