The Travel Chica

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How Travel Has Taught Me to See Beauty

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My first week back in Ohio, I went to Portsmouth to visit my sister and dad.  Staying at my sister’s house is sort of like being on one of those all Inclusive holidays.

I sleep in the most comfortable bed in the world. (Seriously, it’s like sleeping on one of those Heavenly beds at a W Hotel.)

My sister cooks delicious dinners, including homegrown vegetables from her garden.   And I get to lay poolside working on my tan.

It was while I was lounging by the pool and soaking up some sun that I noticed the clouds.

The clouds were beautiful.

They were perfect, puffy white balls of cotton candy moving across the sky.  And it lasted the entire afternoon.  I kept looking at them in amazement.

Did the clouds in Southern Ohio look like this before?

I don’t know.  I don’t think I ever paid attention to the clouds before.  All I know is that I had to get my camera.

Travel has changed how I see the world around me.

I have seen beautiful sunsets at the top of a volcano.  I have been on gorgeous beaches in Central America.  I have been lucky to travel to such beautiful places, but every day has not been rainbows and waterfalls and natural wonders.

I have learned to take the time to look around.

Because one of my goals is to improve my photography and because I don’t have a 9-5 job sitting in an office, I spend a lot of time out “looking for photos.”  I walk. I jog.  I explore markets.  I go into random shops or museums that catch my interest.

Even though I sometimes do get busy with freelance work, updating my website, and editing photos, I make it a priority to go out and just wander.

I have learned to pay attention.

Because I have less stress (or at least negative stress) in my life, I typically am completely aware of everything around me.  Of course there are times when I go on walks to think, but I now have more control of what types of thoughts and when those thoughts get my attention.

Has travel given you a new perspective on how you see the world?

 

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Comments

  1. That’s such a wonderful thing to hear, Steph. A lot of my friends who’ve been travelling also say that their trips has helped them open their eyes to the beauty around them. :) I hope the same thing happens for me.
    Ceri recently posted..The Panic Sets In

  7. I am wondering what it will be like to settle down in one place after traveling for so long, but I suspect that this will be a result for me as well. I definitely find that I am slowing down and really appreciating my surroundings a lot more now.

  10. Travel definitely has, but a newly-developed interest in photography even more. So many people are always talking about how “searching for the next shot” or always looking through the viewfinder makes them less able to enjoy traveling, but it enhances it for me. I think photography has made me more mindful of the beauty around me, wherever I am.
    Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..How much does it cost to live in London?

  12. I’ve heard so many travelers express a similar sentiment. I think slowing down is the key.
    We had a beautiful full moon in Singapore last night … but I left for work in the dark so I haven’t had time to look at clouds today. (Plus it’s haze season here.)
    I can’t WAIT for our next adventure, when cloud-watching is going to be a priority!
    Barbara – The Dropout Diaries recently posted..Meet The Dropouts – Food Writer Robyn Eckhardt

  13. I have memories from my childhood when my family was showing me around the beauty of the places we went. The sky, the water, animals, architecture, people, stories, music… I think my love for traveling comes from those moments full of awe and admiration for our world. Too bad that, as an adult, I have let my “real life” steal those moments way too often. Beautiful post!

  14. Travel made me appreciate USA more. I have lived in 3 countries prior here, and traveled to more than 5 countries. I have seen the beauty and the bad parts in all the places I traveled to, and still finds America my home and most comfortable XD.

    Btw, you sound like you are having a “vacation” within the travel vacation XD. (comfortable bed, delicious food, getting a tan….Jesus)
    Annie recently posted..Japan(8)Omotesando-Shinjuku Part 3 ~ Cozy Corner Dessert Shop

  16. Lovely that photo, Stephanie. And so true – the more I see of the world, the more I appreciate how lucky I am to live where I do. Btw, I spent a Christmas in Ohio once – lovely, snowy place :)
    Sophie recently posted..Images of Innsbruck

  17. This is my definition of living. It’s learning to appreciate the simplistic joys that are like whispers to the soul….the type that makes you lean forward just to take in more. It gets your attention because you have learned to see it in a new light which makes the experience all the more sweeter. I think you’ve gotten a gentle nudge, a whisper to take it all in…now.
    Renee recently posted..My Jackson Hole, WY Trip Report

  18. I think travel has taught me to look for the extraordinary in the ordinary. I get really excited by monkeys which people living with monkeys always find funny since they’re so used to them. When I was home this summer, I realized how beautiful the Canadian Rockies truly are.
    Laurel recently posted..Solving Mysteries of the Starnberger See

  19. Travel has definitely made me more aware of the beauty in my own backyard. Exotic locations do not have the monopoly on fabulous pictures-I can find a beautiful sunset right here in WV! And when I am not traveling, I still like to venture off the beaten path a little bit. Whether it’s taking a different route to hang out with friends, or kayaking for the first time, it’s all about keeping things fresh 😉
    Claire recently posted..Lost Girls Winner and a Lazy Labor Day

  21. I love the way travel broadens the mind. It’s true that you do take more time to see things, and to appreciate the things that at one time seemed irrelevant. It’s as though you have more time to acknowledge the world around you, whereas for me, being in my home town, things move at such a pace, it’s hard to appreciate anything
    Daniel Stevens recently posted..How to Save Money for Travelling

  22. I am from Ohio as well and have a similar experience each time I return. It opens up a new perspective on a place that I thought I knew very well. There is much to be explored and photographed right in your own backyard.
    Kurt W recently posted..The Coastline of Sri Lanka

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