Why Do I Like to Travel to the Same Places Time and Time again?
I have been drawn to travel and discovering new places since I was little, but lately I started to realize that I am also inclined to spend my hard earned money to return to the same places again and again. At first I was a bit baffled by this tendency as I have always considered myself an explorer, someone who is fascinated by the new and unfamiliar. After a while I realized, however, that going back to the same place doesn’t necessarily mean trading in discovery and adventure.
Living a nomadic lifestyle is definitely what I wanted to do when I began working remotely. That is not to say that it only consists of sitting on scenic beaches and spending all my time sightseeing. It takes an enormous amount of time of planning, being out of my comfort zone almost constantly and coordinating with friends and family to insert visiting them into my travel plans. As a result of this lifestyle I found myself drawn back to the same countries time and time again. Part of it is the comfort of familiarity and the other part is realizing that instead of being at home in one place, I am at home in many and each nurtures a part of me that is essential for me to keep going.
In my experience, revisiting a place I had been to before is a great opportunity to dive even deeper into discovering what that place has to offer. Better learning the language of that place while I am away can be a huge step into immersing myself into the culture. Really getting to know one culture in an foreign place serves to me as a gateway to the surrounding areas as well which eventually it will result in even more adventure and novelty. Taking pictures in a place where I am already familiar with the language, customs and traditions usually gets easier the second time around. People are more trusting and I feel more that I have a reason to be there and a place among the locals.
My preference is to revisit places to learn more about it eventually helps me learn more about myself. I can compare my growth to the previous time I was there, I can dare a bit more and try things I haven’t tried before. I meet new people and reconnect with old friends. It’s a great frame of reference for me to see how I felt or acted in the same situations a year or two before and it fills me with confidence to have such a tangible sense of my growth.
Another reason for revisiting places is that you never really go back to the same place twice. The area has changed, people have changed and there is always something new waiting for you there. I don’t necessarily feel this way about every single place I visit, but there are definite favorites among them, such as Mexico, Italy, Spain and of course, Transylvania. I love to discover new countries and cultures and I believe that the two are not mutually exclusive either. Also, having lived a nomadic lifestyle for the past 4 years, I feel that instead of revisiting places, I just go back home to a different place every time.
If you ever feel yourself drawn to the same place again and again, my advice is to indulge that feeling and discover what the novelty of a seemingly familiar place or situation can offer you. And if you already have places that you find yourself returning to time and time again, share in the comments what that drawing force is and how do you manage your time between different places!
