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Journeying: Travel Without Destination

“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you travelled.” – Mohammed

This is one of my favourite quotes; however maybe in the modern era, relating how you travelled is more relevant. Is it possible to still make the journey the true adventure? Flying has taken a great deal of the ‘journeying’ experience out of travelling; it is merely an inconvenience to be endured for the majority of travellers today.

Some transportation methods are slower than others

Many tourists only have a two week holiday each year, the first port of call when planning the annual trip abroad is the internet or travel agents. These two resources generally allow booking flights, cruises, and possibly trains or overland travel by vehicle. They are limited, however this suits most single destination travellers as there is simply not enough time for them to spend savouring the journey, all their energies are directed towards the destination.

True Vagabond spirit

Independent travellers often spend a great deal of their time on extended trips but still normally have a specific itinerary in mind. Round the world trips are usually booked in advance, as airlines only accept a trip for a period of less than twelve months. This is hardly conducive to the spirit of true ‘journeying’.

There are still some that embrace the concept of ‘slow travel‘ using trains, boats and cars to travel from destination to destination. This is possibly where the true spirit of ‘journeying’ can be found, it enables the individual to stop off and explore anywhere along their chosen route. Ultimately there may be a planned destination, but there is sufficient flexibility to allow the traveller to fully enjoy the route that is being taken.

Is the true spirit of adventure, finding the unexpected where it is least expected? The ‘golden age’ of discovery is long past; Columbus, Magellan, Cook and Marco Polo have names engraved on the pages of history for good reason. They embodied the spirit of exploration and journeying, it is hard to imagine how it must feel to be the first to explore a completely undiscovered land. I wonder what they would have thought about the modern convenience of flying, they probably would have embraced it wholeheartedly, but an element of the travel experience will be lost.

By any means

The opportunities for explorers to be the first to achieve anything new or make a discovery are now limited, there are however still many possibilities for adventure. Climbing in the Greater Ranges, unexplored forest regions and caving or cave diving still offer the adventurous an opportunity to discover an unexplored location. They are however diminishing and also involve an element of risk.

There are even specific ‘adventurer’ challenges which can be attempted and achieved; climbing all of the seven summits on each of the continents, reaching the two poles, even combining these two separate challenges which is known as the ‘Explorers Grand Slam’. Some purists even consider all fourteen peaks over eight thousand metres must be included.

Achieving such incredible feats is beyond the scope of most us, not necessarily because we are incapable but more likely we lack the incredible drive required to raise funds and make the sacrifices required to continue chasing such dreams.

The journey is the adventure

This does not mean that we do not seek adventure, have the ambition to explore or that it is always necessary to take great risks. Adventures are relative, it is the spirit of adventure that is more important, and those possessing a suitable attitude will always find exciting experiences.

“Every journey has the potential to become epic; it is the mindset of the traveller that defines the adventure”

Getting on your bike

Many celebrity travellers have ‘journeyed’ around the World or across continents by any means but they have had a full compliment of film crew and support team, hardly the spirit of independent travel. I am not decrying thier achievements, some are genuinely accomplished travellers, but ultimately it is merely about entertainment.

Some fulltime travellers that have been on the road constantly for several years are probably the closest to the ‘ideal’ of this nomadic nature. They still have an itinerary most of the time, but the lack of time constraints allows great flexibility enabling them to meander around any country or continent at their leisure.

The methods that have been used to circumnavigate the planet are mind boggling, hiking, biking, sailing, in-line skating; probably and segways; almost certainly one day soon! It does not require any great skill to travel in this manner, determination of course, but many ‘ordinary’ people have managed extraordinary round the World trips.

These are the modern day nomads and explorers, it is unlikely that anywhere new will be discovered but they have adapted exploration to fit into the current state of the planet. There are very view regions of the planet which have not been mapped extensively, therefore discovering on their own terms the many amazing sights the world still has to offer has become the goal.

Feluccas on the Nile

This maybe how epic journeys are defined; spending time travelling slowly around the planet, using a multitude of different forms of transport, visiting many ‘offbeat’ destinations will certainly increase the chances of an adventure.

I have never personally experienced this form of freedom, travelling on climbing expeditions or shorter trips but all usually to specific predetermined destinations. A round the world trip is an ambition but the option will still probably be a year round ticket so whilst I hope to achieve some freedom the majority of the itinerary will need to be pre-booked.

It is possible I do have a nomadic spirit however, in the past various forms of accommodation and transportation methods have been utilised to assist in my travels. Apart from the obvious of camping, a hammock is always carried, couchsurfing and hitching are budget options also often employed. Combining these tried and tested methods with other overland options and some modern compromises should provide me and any other traveller with an all important feeling of independence and freedom.

Travelling in this manner is almost certainly good for the soul, it will certainly immerse the traveller in the journey and is much more eco-friendly than merely flying around the planet. A nomadic spirit of the Bedouins and similar tribes is viewed with a certain amount of romanticism, and is a lifestyle many of us yearn for, perhaps in some small manner it can still be achieved even now.

I look forward to experiencing some greater experiences of ‘journeying’ in the future, where the destination is not the ultimate aim; it is just a part of the travelling experience.

“To the true traveller the destination is merely an excuse to make the journey”

Safe travels.

Getting the transport ready

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Comment by Kaleel Sakakeeny on May 16, 2013 at 12:13pm: That may be the first time ever, the prophet Muhammad was quoted on these (or almost any other page) pages!

May I respectfully suggest that the correct spelling is with a "u" and not an "o" . Nevertheless, a smart and relevant quote. Thanks