A New Obsession

Lately I've found myself falling more and more in love with travel articles. It's a nerdy obsession, really, especially for a teenager. I just happen to find other people's discoveries abnormally fascinating.

I may not have mentioned before that I love travelling. It's not just because I'm a TCK. Or maybe it is. But anyway, it's extremely thrilling for me. There's nothing that excites me more than the promise of new discoveries, adventures and the chance to be a tourist for a little while. And, above all, I just love flying. There's a certain thrill about being in an airplane that makes me want to do it over and over and over again. You get to watch movies on a tiny screen, eat interesting food, get free drinks, and fall asleep cuddled up in an over-sized sweater. I love it.

However, if I just happen to be stuck in a plane flight that lasts any less than two hours, I usually find myself without much entertainment for that time. (Just so you know, I get bored easily.) Sure, I usually bring a book, but I mean, what's so nice about reading an ordinary book when you're in an airplane? Nah, not my thing.

When I was on my way home from Switzerland this last summer, I found myself confined to the one-hour trip from Bangkok to Phnom Penh without much entertainment - and my book was in my check-in luggage.

Great.

So I found myself, for the first time in my life, flipping through those cheesy travel magazines in the pouch of the seat in front of me, actually reading the articles. I read one, but it was a boring business one that didn't interest me at all. But then I came across an article entitled, "Journey into History". It was by a particular journalist that had traveled to Central Vietnam, to a small, sleepy town that wasn't very popular for tourists due to it's lack of...tourism, but still held the historical grandeur and stunning scenery that so many people crave.

The article turned out to be really fascinating. The journalist obviously knew what he was doing. He described scenery after scenery after scenery, and I felt as though I was there with him, the excitement bubbling up inside of me. I really wished I was there with him. He was incredibly persuasive. But all the same, he described Asia the way that it was - loud, smelly, but full of culture and opportunity.

So anyway, I decided that, despite the fact that this is a totally nerdy obsession, there's nothing wrong with trying to write my own "travel articles" about the places I visit and the things I experience and see. Or I could just share great travel articles I read. Either way, I'm convinced you should be as fascinated with these things as I am. Because, after all, they make you crave travelling and adventure.