Is it the journey or the destination?

Something struck me about a week back, and I was reminded of it again yesterday as Mrs B and I sat in the park. As I looked up to the sky I watched a plane soar overhead and it made me think about traveling and why we do it so much.

Living in Hong Kong is never going to help your carbon footprint. If you jump on a plane you can be in Singapore or Thailand in 2 or 3 hours. Not to mention China on your doorstep, and with all the sights to see there, you will be traveling for a long time.

But why do I like to fly so much? I think that the image above sums it up; Link to a larger version. Someone once said the way to look at traveling is that its not the journey its the destination. With the amount of travel that Mrs B and I do, there is definitely something in these words.

I picked out the picture above as I think it represents the journey part of this blog. As you look out of the window and watch the sun set I defy you not to marvel at the feeling of what you are doing hits home. At 28,000 feet flying hundreds of miles an hour it is something special and a journey that in days gone past our grandparents could only have imagined.

There is something almost childlike in its pleasure of arriving somewhere - The destination. As you step off the plane the giddy excitement of knowing that as soon as I get through immigration there is going to be something to see or photograph. Or perhaps is is something more spiritual such as seeing out new places and meeting new people?

Of course its not just about me and with Mrs B by my side directing/reading the guidebook we have seen many fantastic places, despite me saying, "Pumpkin, what do we need a book for, we'll look like tourists?" and proceeding to walk in completely the wrong direction.

Whatever it is, traveling is something that while exhausting at times is more than made up for by the adventures and great photos that I manage to take. And that is what I fly for.

Most recent photos here.