Can Travel connect us with the Divine?
I believe it can. Yet I suppose it all depends on what you believe the Divine to be.
Now, I am a great lover of words – their meanings, definitions and how people use them. Checking out and then understanding another’s use of a word, is an important gift and tool to utilise in life and one I learnt the importance of, when I was training to become a Counsellor.
One persons vice may be shots of Sambuca, on a night out. I think mine in the past has been shots of words, born out of differing psychological theories.
Stepping into the Travel Industry opens up a whole new world of words and I think back to a conversation I had with the Writer Elizabeth Gilbert about her new book ‘The Signature of All Things.’ Ms Gilbert had to learn a whole new world of words to write her sprawlingly botanical, mossy novel. A world she had never entered before.
So I’d just like to clarify My meaning: Divine means to me, made from something other than ourselves.
This is what I think travelling connects us to. Something far bigger and more subtle than what we, as human beings are aware of.
I think there were defining moments for me, when we stepped out of society for long-term family travel and I became aware of this on another level. There is far more to our world than meets the eye. I had already experienced this in relationships, through the subtle energies involved in communication and between people . On our travels I had the ability and openness to become aware of this in our world. On looking out, it was as if the world were a huge tapestry, made out of tweaks and pulls, stitches and colour.
In Koh Sok – Thailand. Our little family decided to indulge in a touch of reflexology and on wandering along the little jungle village main road, we entered an establishment, whose calm cool interior immediately released us from the tropical tensions, built up from spending so much time in the heat. As we sat in our chairs, the reflexologists all bowed their heads in supplication and a different vibration entered the room. Love was present. This made me aware of focused intent and what could be achieved when it was induced. So different to many other foot massages experienced before and after.
In New Zealand, I remember standing atop a mountain and purveying nature as its tapestry unfurled before me. ‘God’s Own Country,’ Were the words which immediately formed inside my mind, as I stared out across the grey green domain. I did not understand my words but felt them to be true.
The uncontrolled movement of travel, I believe also provides the necessary ingredients, to induce the divine. I discovered this every day, as we lifted up our roots and moved easily along to the next place we chose to rest. The feel of our environment our guide, as to whether or not we laid our heads there for the night or longer, if it felt right.
There was no stopping, no standing still – our lives were in constant movement. All fluid and flowing. Another gift given once in connection with the wider world. It was interesting to observe, how we become connected, when we were no longer in need of the security of societal living. (In all honesty, this is something I lose on returning home.)
There are many different ways to travel but the wonder of long-term travel from my point of view, is the depth of connection it provides us with the divine. As just for a while we disconnect ourselves from society, disentangle and disengage from its upward spiral, brush ourselves down from every day living. Allowing life to bring about a renewal and refreshing vibrancy to the self.
Do you believe travel connects us to the divine?
I’d love to know your thoughts…
Travel with the Strings 