Why climb mountains? Because the mountain is right there. Why travel? Perhaps it’s because the enchanting poetry and distant places are right there. In the 18th century, young British aristocrats who had just graduated from Oxford and Cambridge would travel across the English Channel with a sum of money and embark on a grand adventure on the European continent. The purpose of a grand tour is to appreciate the scenery of various places, experience various cultures, and cultivate a sense of “world citizenship”. In the 20th century, classical style grand tours transformed into modern style travel, no longer limited to the elite class. The urban middle class will regularly step out of the grid, out of social norms, into foreign lands, into unfamiliar environments, and gain emotional release and spiritual liberation. Travel is endowed with the meaning of ‘transcending the present and searching for oneself’. However, when travel becomes an internalized pursuit, with hurried and chaotic itineraries, crowded attractions with internet celebrities, overly filtered beauty, and similar vlogs… one cannot help but feel exhausted. Therefore, more and more people are trying to redefine the meaning of travel and reconstruct the relationship between travel and people. We found three friends who travel all year round and talked to them about their travel experiences. They have also taken detours and lost themselves in the monotonous scenery. Nowadays, they have explored a better travel experience: they have their own thoughts on how to feel the local cultural life and how to establish connections with the locals. Here are their stories.
01 Instead of recording scenery
It’s better to feel the scenery
For six days, in five cities, I slept only three hours a day, shuttling between scenic spots, taking advantage of every opportunity to eat and rest… This is my trip to Japan in 2019. At that time, she had just graduated from college and didn’t have much savings or annual leave on hand.
It’s terrible! “When it comes to this impoverished trip five years ago, I can still feel a sense of exhaustion and frustration both physically and mentally.
She remembers being dragged by a friend to climb a mountain in Nagoya one early morning. Although the mountain scenery was beautiful, she felt dazed with sleepy eyes. Due to having to take the Shinkansen to Kyoto at noon, I had to hurry down the mountain. Until now, she still can’t remember the name of that small mountain.
The principle that we adhere to was to check-in at the most scenic spots in the shortest possible time. After experiencing that terrible experience, she asked herself: What is the meaning of such a trip?
French philosopher Montaigne believed that travel is a process of finding oneself and discovering the world. Through travel, we experience different cultures and landscapes, better understand our inner world, and make life more fulfilling and meaningful. On the other hand, in “card style travel”, after seeing the scenery, eating snacks, and taking beautiful photos, memories are empty. What was the feeling at that time, how the locals lived, what they liked to eat, what they talked about… that kind of local life experience is what I long for, “said Xuxu.
Last autumn, she went to Hangzhou alone to play. She didn’t do any strategy, nor did she plan to squeeze into the scenic spots. After sleeping until she woke up naturally and had a brunch, she casually scanned a shared bike, avoiding the crowds of people in West Lake and riding along an unknown small river. The scenery along the way is unprecedented, with a gentle breeze blowing through the shirt and the fragrance of osmanthus, giving people a sense of happiness cooked in autumn. She didn’t know how long she had been riding until the sunset in front of her reminded her – she stopped the car and recorded the moment, feeling extremely satisfied.
When she got tired of riding, she headed back towards the hotel. Passing by a toy store, just take a look at any new and exciting gadgets; Passing by the vegetable market, generously tasting fruits; Passing by the street park, I watched the old man play chess with great interest. For the first time, she experienced the travel experience of ‘rising up and coming back with all the excitement’.
In addition to this’ cityride ‘, Xuxu has also developed a more romantic way to experience a city: randomly choosing a bus and taking it all the way from the city center to the outskirts. She sat in the car, admiring the unfamiliar scenery outside the window and watching various passersby pass by; Listening to the people in the car chatting in dialect, even though I couldn’t understand, I felt a sense of familiarity. The human fireworks that belong exclusively to a city are stirring up her “five senses” in this way.
Although for office workers like Xuxu, casual slow travel may still seem a bit “luxurious”, compared to the “special forces style” travel in the past, whether it is carefully planned before the trip or meticulously planned during the itinerary – in order to “make a film”, one has to dress up carefully before going out; As she is now, walking comfortably through the streets and alleys makes her feel more relaxed and happy. Using one’s own senses instead of a camera to record can instead deeply engrave what one sees and hears into memories, creating a sense of connection with the real world and endless joy.
02 Instead of just taking a quick glance,
It’s better to establish connections with people
Xiaoyu is someone who quickly realizes the meaning of travel. Of course, this is also the result of continuous exploration.
In Xiaoyu’s life, he has always taken the most “correct” path: attending good primary school, middle school, and university, and then working for a nationally renowned company after graduation. Everything goes according to plan, and you can see the head at a glance.
Travel completely changed the life trajectory of this’ well behaved child ‘. On the streets of Morocco, she met many local “artists” – artists, but from a professional perspective, their painting skills were mediocre. Even to ordinary people, these works may not be pleasing to the eye, but each one has a distinct personality that is unforgettable. But what touched her even more was their dedication and enthusiasm for creation, not seeking excellence, but only seeking happiness.
As she watched them create, she admitted that she had been impacted in some way: could creation still be like this? But shouldn’t creation be like this?
The happiness on the streets of Morocco does not only belong to artists, but also to adults and children who love playing football. Any place over two square meters will see a group of people running happily, creating an atmosphere that makes Little Fish join in without much thought. Before that, she would never dare to do this: a person who doesn’t know how to play football shouldn’t go to a training class first and then study the rules seriously… or at least, should they buy a pair of sneakers first?
But here, you just need to run with the crowd and feel happy. No one will laugh at you there – because they don’t play well either. But what does it matter?
This carefree life of “living whatever you want” has made Xiaoyu ponder: in some areas where the economy is not developed, people cannot sing, draw, or play football, but this does not prevent them from living comfortably and freely.
After thinking about it, she no longer “rolls” decent jobs in big cities, but becomes a “semi professional traveler”, traveling alone most of the time and taking people on trips the rest of the time.
For her now, there are no attractions that must be visited, no cards that must be played, and the influx of internet celebrities cannot determine the value of the landscape. A truly soulful journey must bring an impact to people’s senses and hearts, which may come from the scenery or from people.
The person who has left the deepest impression on Xiaoyu during her travels in recent years is an old man in his 70s whom she met in Hengdian. He, who was supposed to enjoy his remaining years, closed down his decades old studio in pursuit of his acting dream when he was young, becoming a “drifter” who runs groups and eats boxed meals every day. I earn 180 yuan a day, but I laugh every day haha.
After traveling for several years, she witnessed countless ways of life beyond the “social clock”: researchers from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, waited on Mount Everest for more than half a month for just one flower to bloom; The girl who drove alone from Guangxi to Liaoning wakes up every day following the tide time to record the migration of 2 million shorebirds (h é ng) and sandpipers (y ù). Recently, she met a volunteer in a refugee camp in Jordan, who completely eliminated her age anxiety after switching careers: the other party resigned from a state-owned enterprise in their thirties and is now volunteering around the world, providing psychological therapy for children. Her ultimate ideal is to become a borderless doctor.
The people and stories encountered during these travels have had a subtle yet powerful impact on Xiaoyu: it turns out that life can still be like this, not necessarily on the “right” path, whether poor or rich, smooth or frustrated. To experience pure happiness and extend life experiences as much as possible is a life gift that everyone deserves and should have.
03 Instead of pursuing breadth of knowledge,
Why not explore the depth of the experience
Travel has another significance for Lin Weijie.
After graduating from university, Weijie has been working in journalism. The wars and conflicts she has reported on often give her an unpleasant imagination of the world, especially in certain specific regions where stereotypes exist. And travel corrected this negative perception.
In 2004, while studying abroad in Europe, when discussing with friends the topic of “why men in Muslim countries can marry four wives”, she, like most people, held a critical attitude towards it. But local female friends told her that the prerequisite for marriage is that the man must provide equal material living for all four wives, and once he chooses to take care of each other, he must take care of all the women’s lives. For local girls, this is an important source of security and a guarantee of their lives.
Only then did Weijie realize that the standard of happiness for people in other countries is usually measured by their own culture, which is narrow. This experience taught Weijie to explore and understand diverse cultures and societies with an equal and open mindset; If it weren’t for this, what she saw was just a corner of her own limitations.
She agrees with a viewpoint of Zhou Yijun, who is also a war correspondent: the lack of worldview is essentially a lack of geographical knowledge. To form a geographical concept of a place, one must lead by example, truly step onto that land, see if it is a plateau or a plain, and what kind of lifestyle the locals have. Only in this way can a level up and more accurate perspective be generated to view this place. Because any lifestyle or values are determined by the geography and culture of a place.
Later, Weijie developed a “unique secret recipe” that could quickly establish a connection with the local culture: going to a strange city and first attending a cooking experience course with the locals. Food is of paramount importance to the people, and the living habits and cultural customs of local residents are demonstrated one by one through learning to cook and visiting vegetable markets.
When she went to Portugal to learn how to stew seafood with a housewife, she witnessed a wonderful vegetable market: on the first floor were ordinary vegetable stalls, while on the second floor were lively citizen offices that could handle administrative work such as driver’s licenses and visas. It is said that this is a deliberate effort by the local government to protect the traditional vegetable market, and the spectacle of citizens carrying baskets to do business has also become a scenic spot.
Weijie enjoys communicating with stall owners to understand where dishes come from and how to cook them for the best taste. She even learned how to identify the “gender” of colored peppers: “Flip them over, four petals are female, and three petals are male. Usually, female colored peppers are sweeter than male colored peppers
In addition to cooking, running is also a way for Weijie to quickly establish connections with unfamiliar cities. Every time she goes to a place, she plans her running route, has plenty of time, and even participates in local running competitions.
She has seen many cities before they wake up, and has also experienced the streetscape with lights on. During the race, due to the need to close off the road, the view is vast and the grass is lush. All the things she saw and felt while running made her feel that she had a direct and intimate contact with this city. She had lived here for many years, imitating Buddha himself.
In recent years, people have often been busy pursuing the breadth of knowledge and neglecting the depth of experience; I care about going to more destinations and forget to establish connections with people. Fortunately, there are travelers like Xuxu, Xiaoyu, and Weijie who have expanded the breadth and depth of their travels and rediscovered the meaning of travel. KLM aims to become an enabler, facilitator, and witness of meaningful travel for passengers. We work with KLM to encourage people to practice ‘better travel’. At every step of the journey, establish meaningful connections with people, places, and experiences.
What is’ better travel ‘? There is no standard answer to this question. There are a thousand ways for a thousand travelers to travel, and the one that suits them is good. Regardless of the method, meaningful travel can rescue people from the routine of daily life. Let us abandon the routine of daily life and go to uncertain faraway places, open our senses and horizons, and find our own position and value in the vast and unfamiliar realm of understanding.
In the book “Arriving Before Midnight”, it is written: “True travel is not only about witnessing wonderful wonders, but also about witnessing dullness and suffering. Just learning that ‘there are still people living like this in the world’ is enough to broaden one’s heart
Perhaps travel should be like this.
