Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

The first and foremost point I would like to bring to my reader’s attention is that the quote “not all those who wander are lost” was penned by J.R.R Tolkien. This write-up is my attempt to convey to you the essence of travelling and what the famous figure attempted to make us understand through this ever-green quote. 

Certain people are of the mindset that if one likes to travel, it means that he or she is aimless in life and has no dedication to make a career or settle down. Even though the times have now changed, travelling frequently was earlier considered a taboo. It was believed that someone who is searching for new things to experience and does not want to stay in one location has no purpose in life. 

J.R.R. Tolkien, through his quote, is trying to eliminate this mindset and remove this misconception from the minds of everyone who believe the above perception to be true.  Simply put, Mr Tolkien wanted to convey the fact that just because an individual loves to travel or considers it his/her hobby, does not mean that they are lost. 

I firmly believe in this quote since I am a traveller myself. I am someone who likes to live a nomadic life but has often stopped herself because of what people will think about me and my lifestyle. 

I would like to share my recent experience related to travel and this quote. A few months ago, I was going through a rough base and nothing seemed to make sense anymore. Issues in my personal life started affecting my focus at work. After getting numerous warnings from my supervisor, I realised that my emotional state is leading to my inability to concentrate. While this is acceptable to an extent, excess of this could cost my job and leave me incomeless. 

my first instinct was to find a solution. From self-help books to indulge in shopping as a coping mechanism, I tried everything. In the next week that followed, I did so much stress eating just because I did not know how to feel better emotionally. 

After not having found a solution, I approached my elder cousin sister who has always been an inspiration to me when it comes to building a career. The heart-to-heart discussion with her was a game changer for me. For starters, I got to know that a year back she went through the same phase. Even though her reasons were different from mine, she was suffering at work too. What worked for her was travelling. She made a wishlist of all the places that she wants to visit and started by taking a trip to her favourite one. Getting in touch with nature and having time to reflect on herself, the trip changed her. These few days helped her relax and get her priorities straight. When she got back to work, she was more calmer and focussed. 

Since then, she made it a point to take a short trip every 2 months, and sometimes every month if things started getting too much to handle. She says while her parents did object at first, she decided to not let that bother her. She feels that if travelling makes her feel sane and happier, then there is no reason to think about what others will say and refrain from taking frequent trips. 

I took her advice and went on a weekend getaway. Now that I have come back, I feel like a different person. I am so much more productive now and my boss has even hinted towards a promotion because of my improvement at work! 

I would suggest my readers travel as much as they can. I am not telling you to leave your job or make your work suffer. All I am advising is to take out time once in a while to take a short trip and get away from your routine lifestyle. You will soon start loving your life a little bit more and exploring new cities and their cultures is just an added advantage. There is a lot to this life, and the least we can do is learn as much as we can by travelling.