Travel feels Like Freedom, Until When?

Why travelling gives you a sense of freedom, and why that feeling disappears in the blink of an eye.

Travel Feels Like Freedom

But What's The Definition of This Freedom? 

Travel feels like freedom, doesn't it? And it's not just about the sensual Instagram pictures and the wanderlust captions (that somehow all sound the same), but The Real Kind. 

It's the sort of travel where you wake up in a completely different place, and you just feel lighter. It feels like you have stepped out of everything that generally defines you. There are no expectations, no routines, and absolutely no constant knock-knocks in your head. It's all you and the place that doesn't know you. 

And I guess, that's why it feels so freeing. 

The Dubai Trip That Left Me Feeling...Empty!

Last month, I went on a family trip to Dubai. Of course, I was completely lost in all the skyscrapers, luxury, and all the other things to do. But, I am not gonna get into any of those, you guys know all of it already. All of that changed me a little bit, for sure, but there is one feeling that I just can't shake off. And mind you, it's been more than a month, even the Earth moved on for more than 30 times.

"Why can't my life feel like that all the time?"

I am not saying that coming back felt bad. It felt really heavy and draining. 

The routine came back.
All the expectations came back. 
It felt like the pause button I had pressed started playing again. All the thoughts came back, with a few more new ones. 

Nothing changed, really. Except now, I had an otherworldly experience that is making everything else feel slightly off.

Is Travel Freedom or Just an Escape?

The answer always feels so simple (at least for me)

"Bro, you just need to travel more."

But the more you think about it, the less convincing it sounds. Because if travelling constantly is the answer, then won't that be just another routine? And if travel really is freedom, then why does that feeling disappear as soon as you get out of your city's airport? 

It's the distance that plays these mind tricks. For a few days, you are distant from all the expectations, responsibilities, routines and thoughts. You get to live without all of them. No one knows who you are, where you came from or who you are trying to be. You are just there, no questions asked. 

And that's what freedom is for real. The version of you that shows up when life is not repeating itself. 

The Need to Travel is a Tough Explanation!

"Bro, why do you want/need to travel more?"

That question is a nightmare for me. I have lost count of how many times I get asked the same question. I still don't have an answer for that. 

There is something in between escaping, taking breaks, exploring places and culture, something that I can see very clearly, but I just can't explain. 

I have left the urge to find when I'm travelling, or else how will I give travelling a chance to show me what's been missing. How will it tell me, "Shubham, there is a lot more to life than what you have lived till now." 

All I know is that there is a version of me when I travel that feels lighter, more me. And instead of chasing places, I have started chasing that version.