‘Location is everything.’
I’ve always been familiar with that term, as I’m sure you all are. But it’s only now that I fully grasp the importance of location – not just with real estate but with everything in life.
As always, let me tell you my story.
I love traveling. It’s something I’m genuinely passionate about. And of course, anyone reading this blog can already guess my other big passion (it’s fries in case you haven’t made the connection). So anyway, there are times when these two great passion happen alongside.
I would sit at a charming cafe in a beautiful city – watching people pass by, taking in the new surrounding, admiring the architecture and landscape around me. I would order some fries and munch away, and you know what, most of the time the fries didn’t even taste that good. Some were even borderline disgusting. Surely if I was having such horrible and overpriced fries in my hometown cafe, I would have stopped eating and demanded a refund. But in that moment because I was on a natural high from being in a new place, even bad fries tasted wonderful to me.
Amazing how just a change of scenery can have such an effect on a person, huh? For me it doesn’t only apply to fries, but also to relationships I’ve had.
I remember instances where just being in the same room with that person for one more minute was torture. Times when talking was an impossible task – every word uttered led to more arguments and resentment.
And then as some desperate attempt to save these dying relationships, we would make travel plans.
The thrill of being in a new place, the excitement of trying to find our way in an unknown area, the joy of seeing beautiful sights and scenery, the wonders of hearing different languages, the taste of exotic food – everything about traveling puts me in a state of total ecstasy and love. So much so that I would believe I was in love with the man I was traveling with.
To quote Rumi,
Travel brings power and love back into your life
But when the travel ends and I step down from my natural high, I would realize that the love I felt wasn’t for him – it was for Life.
It also makes me ponder on relationships in general. I’ve watched shows like The Bachelor (yes, I know I’m lame) where couples travel to exotic locations together and fall in love, only to fall out of love once they get back to reality.
Or couples who travel together to rekindle their romance. I’m sure things would be perfect while traveling, but what about after it’s over? Does the resentment kick back in? Does it become boring again? Do couples need to plan trips every weekend to keep the love alive? Or maybe we are meant to spend our lives traveling from one place to another, so we can always be in a state of love? I don’t know. What do you think?
Of Fries And Men 
if that really is the case then im permanently single lol; i could never afford to travel like that – though i want to so much. no – i think that in the right relationship you don’t have to travel all the time to keep the love alive – if you do, he’s not the right guy, or at very least, it wasn’t the right time. some very good points though 🙂 it should also be criminal to serve bad fries – just saying.
Haha that’s true it’s gonna cost a lot to keep this up huh.. and I get your point about the right relationships.. and maybe the only reason I need to keep traveling is because I haven’t found the right relationship yet. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and yes, it should be a criminal offense to serve bad fries!!! 🙂
You’re so right – a change of scenery cannot cure what ails a relationship. However, it can take us out of a territorial posture and allow us to drop our normal guard, if both parties are interested in repairing things.
That actually makes a lot of sense – like a mini ‘time-out’ for both. Thanks for the thought, I hadn’t looked at it that way before.. 🙂
I’ve actually thought about this a lot! I was in a long distance relationship where we often met half way on mini vacations. I always wondered if our relationship would have lasted as long if we weren’t constantly on romantic get-a-ways. I think a healthy relationship should be a mixture of the mundane, while also making the time to explore new things together!
That’s so true – i guess i haven’t been able to have the mundane with someone yet. Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts! 🙂
That was beautifully written! I think that love needs to be kept alive by changing some yet still being familiar. Keep it exciting and interesting but never change so much that you’re a completely new person, you two should grow together. Only change to be who you want to be, change for the better. Don’t change for someone so that you lose yourself.
I completely agree with you especially on this point ‘Don’t change for someone so that you lose yourself.’.. Thank you so much for your thoughts 🙂
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Whispering Insights aka Oliana Kim
Thank you so much for this!! I am truly honored to be nominated 🙂
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