Why are you travelling?

As I start blogging my travels and after a month into it,  it makes me think deeply why do I want to start a travel blog.

Some question that comes to my mind:

• Is this important?
• Will the people that I will inspire through my blog really need travelling as part of their lifestyle?
• Why do I enjoy travelling a lot?
• Is this kind of pursuit in vain?

These and different doubts about my motives why I am doing this starts bothering me.

Then I thought about lesson I learned about PLAY in Brene Brown’s Book- Gift of Imperfection.

It’s about cultivating Play and rest in our lives . She talks about how exhaustion has become a status symbol and productivity has become a symbol of self worth in most of us.

Yes, we lower down the value of play and rest because our society teaching us that if we are busy and effective all the time, we are doing great in life. But is that true?

What is play and why it is important ? As I wrote in the picture above I define play as doing something you considers fun. Not rushing, not hurrying, not expecting a result. It is not required. Play brings joy and creativity to us and that is very essential to our health not just physically but emotionally and mentally.
So I thought about TRAVEL. Is travelling considered play and rest?

To me YES. It is a big yes.

I feel like I’m playing and enjoying myself everytime I travel. The rest part? Well I need to decide to rest everytime I travel and to see to it that this is one of the reason why I’m there travelling. Not to chase every activity I need to cross out in my list. That’s a side point m.

But what stops us to fully embrace play and rest in our lives?

I believe because of our faulty perspective of play and rest. The right perspective is:

Play and rest is important and it is a need.

Also sometimes other people makes me feel guilty when i’m are resting and playing.

As if they are saying, the more you are exhausted, the more you are hardworking and valuable as an employee or as a mother or even as a student.

If you are not exhausted, you are lazy and not serious about life.

This is just the society today sad to say. Playing becomes just a luxury that you will get once in a while if you are lucky. And if you seems to be enjoying and doing great job on it people that sees you will either tell things like :

“good life ah”

“so free you got nothing to do”.

These are just common shame phrases that stops me from enjoying my play sometimes.

Sad to say, those people who says this things are also the ones who are not comfortable embracing play in their lives. They are often the one who are exhausted and wants others to be like them. Our society stops us from realising the important of playing without knowing it.

But not playing will lead me to a dull life-less Jackie..
We cultivate meaning when we take time to play and enjoy our lives. We find meaning in our lives through appreciating how beautiful the world is and how great is the creator of it. We find meaning when we realized that we are part of this beautiful creation.

Tangadan Falls, San Gabriel La Union

Mines view park, Baguio City

Red Sand Dunes, Mui Né , Vietnam

White sand dunes, Mui Né , Vietnam

With my daughter summer to my left and my niece Andrea. San Juan La Union

Life is not just about making money and productivity. Life is about appreciating the places, people, experiences God gave us.

First surfing experience in San Juan La Union

Hoi An Beach , Vietnam

It’s so healing writing these properties of play.. Realizing what plays really means to me! Excited to make more play a part of my life without shame and guilt!
So here’s my playlist 3 years ago.

But now I am adding to this list TRAVEL

I will try my best to do some of my playlist regularly:)

The key is PRACTICE.

I will try my best to travel with gratitude.  The more grateful I am, the more joyful I become. If I’m joyful, no one can take that away not even a missed flight.

Gardens by the bay , Singapore with my Mom

Play. Rest. Travel.

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