Around the World: The self-discovery that is in every journey

Every journey or trip around the world is a voyage of discovery that opens us up

Life itself is a journey. We are all going on somewhere. We go through the motions of childhood, adulthood, and old age.

Travelling opens you up to a new world Pulse Nigeria

For most of our lives, we feel like we are going somewhere, and we are. We are going to school or work. When we get there, we have things to do.

For every stage in our lives, there are places to be and things to do and after we have done the things in that stage, we find out there are more things.

We live long enough and there is nothing to do and no place to go. Then we die.

I understand that Nigeria, as it is now, is not the place for cross-country travel. But when it is, you should consider travelling around the country. This country is a melting pot of diverse experiences and cultures.

And if you are financially able, travel out of the country.

Travelling is an enriching experience, it helps you step out of the core of who you are and away from experiences, places and events that have become familiar and routine..

Phil Knight is the founder of Nike, one of the richest companies in the world. In his book, Shoe Dog he explains how he started the company.

He was 24 years old and had just graduated from the University. He had to decide what he wanted to do with himself.

Catch flights and feelings! Pulse Nigeria

Call it a privilege but he decided to travel to Japan and Europe to give actualization to his dreams and the purpose of his existence.

The first place is he went to was Hawaii, he stayed with a friend for a while but out of curiosity and wanderlust, he decided to travel to Japan.

He immersed himself in learning and gazed upon beauty daily as well as make connections with the shoe company he would collaborate with. The pivotal moment for him was his journey to Greece

The Temple of Athena was transformative for Phil Knight and brought him into an epiphanic moment. In his book Shoe Dog he wrote that;

“I don’t know how long I stood there, absorbing the energy and power of that epochal place. An hour? Three? I don’t know how long after that day I discovered the Aristophanes play, set in the Temple of Nike, in which the warrior gives the king a gift – a pair of new shoes. I don’t know when I figured out that the play was called Knights. I do know that as I turned to leave I noticed the temple’s marble façade. Greek artisans had decorated it with several haunting carvings, including the most famous, in which the goddess inexplicably leans down… to adjust the strap of her shoe.”

It doesn’t matter if you travel within Nigeria (when the country is safer) or outside Nigeria if you have the money.

The most important thing is that travelling is a voyage of self-discovery for anyone.

By stepping out of your routine and your everyday life and being open to experiencing other people and cultures, you can understand the world and yourself better.

We can’t travel everywhere but we can see the world through the eyes of others. This series explores Nigeria and the world from the experiences of those who have been there.