Why I write

I have already told you why i travel. And I've told you about my parents, who are a source of inspiration for a lot of the things I do. I will now continue this theme, and tell you what drives me to write about these things, to take the thoughts that swirl around in my head like blown shards of paper, and transcribe them here for the world to see.

Writing, for me, is a largely cathartic process. It is a means to order my thoughts and marshal some semblance of sense from them. I have written, in some form or another, for as long as I can remember. Sometimes in diaries, sometimes in e-mails, sometimes in the sort of poetry that you don’t actually share with anyone in case you get locked up for crimes against paper. When I walk, or listen to music, I find myself wandering the worlds of my imagination, and penning paragraphs in my mind. Sometimes I feel they are worth capturing, even if only for me.

Travelling is something that can cause one to go through a variety of experiences that have an impact. Some of these are big, some are small. Some are good, some are bad. All of them will have some kind of effect. By writing these things down, I can share what that may have been. Often I can understand them better myself. Maybe other people will relate to them. Some of the things I write, therefore, will come across as diary entries. Others, when I want to share the wonder of a place, will seem like tourist guidebook entries. Sometimes I just have some photos that I really liked, that I thought may brighten up a day. There is no grand plan here. Not yet anyway.

Of course, there are more selfish sides to it. Having a permanent (as far as one can these days) repository of my experiences serves as a sort of online memory backup. Even if no-one reads these things I write, in years to come I can look back and remember things that the sands of time have perhaps filled over in my mind. I can see the sort of person I was, and compare that to the person I have become.

It’s also narcissistic. The thought that other people may enjoy what I write, even go so far as to comment, or share my ideas, to find them interesting, amusing or somehow applicable to them, conveys a sense of acceptance, that the world is looking on and that people care. That I may be different in some of the choices I have made, but I am not alone.

There is the inkling that one could make money from it, although I believe that making a living from writing is something that is one of those dreams that is nice to have, but all of my hopes should perhaps not be pinned to that mast. The passion of writing may wane if it becomes something I have to do, rather than something I love to do. As it is, I currently like writing about what I am thinking about, or what I have experienced. If this strikes a chord with readers, then that is wonderful. It’s too early on for me to have decided how to expand on that, if at all. Yes, there are a few ads on this page. The odd Amazon recommendation. I have a variety of social media presences, that you can see on the top right of the page. None of these, as they are, are likely to fund my life going forward in any serious way though.

I also read a number of other blogs. I have started to share some of them here. My favourite kind of travel posts to read are those which are introspective, featuring folks who are sharing the things that they have found out about themselves through the medium of travel. Of course, this isn’t for everyone. Some people want to know about the destination, what to see, where to go. They want the value you get from the insights of someone who has been there, without the naval gazing. These exist too, and are probably the ones from which their authors can make a more reliable living.

So. A lot of words. In summary I find that for me, writing about travel from a personal perspective ends up being a balance between sharing the emotional impact of a place or experience, which will no doubt differ from person to person, and sharing the awe of the world and its physical spaces. I may look back at this in ten years and ponder over my youth and naivety, but, well, at least I will have something to look back at.

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing. And don’t forget, this is a two way street, the comments box is always there for you to share your thoughts if these posts make you feel something, whatever that may be.