Travelling is my happiness.

I have just boarded the plane Fort Lauderdale-Frankfurt and I am feeling super excited! I am flying to Germany to visit my sister and to have a road trip to France. Did I mention this would be my first time in Europe? Oh yeah! I am already anticipating all the adventures of the road, the charm of Paris and Strasbourg and the character of Frankfurt.

This post is going to be rather sentimental. I simply can’t help it – the emotions are bubbling inside and must get out! Now, let me go back in time to describe the particular moment when I realized that travelling is what makes me happy.

“Travelling is my happiness” is a motto I chose for myself a couple years ago, during one of the trips to Tennessee. We were on the road early in the morning, passing the Great Smoky Mountains and I was looking in the window and feeling sleepy. The morning mist covered the peaks of the mountains, tops of the trees and, at the same time, spread low on the ground. The sun rays showed their first curious glimpses over the snowy peaks.  The sun seemed shy, as if it didn't want to disturb the peace and harmony by its sudden appearance. It was serene and so beautiful. Dozens of chaotic thoughts were floating in my mind making me smile and filling with an overwhelming warmth and happiness for no particular reason. At this moment one very distinct idea overshadowed the rest – travelling is my happiness. That was it! I found my motto and recipe for being fulfilled, contented and happy.

Ever since, travelling has been my cure to everything. Feeling depressed? Travel! Feeling bored? Travel! Feeling undecided? Travel! Visiting new places, diving into new cultures, meeting new people – it opens up my mind, makes me a better person.  It makes me more understanding and tolerant. Tolerance is what we all lack, I think. Tolerance is what could stop wars and conflicts, fix relationships, make friendships. We could never be the same, have the same opinions, preferences, beliefs, but we could learn to be tolerant to our differences and coexist in peace and mutual respect. The world with no borders is probably impossible, but the world with no hatred is in our hands. At least, that is what I am hoping for.

All right, enough of the small talk; let’s move on to the important stuff! I really believe that every traveler absolutely has to be nuts. Adventures are the weirdoes’ domain. As for me, I am not exactly a cuckoo case, but I am working on it.  Let me introduce you to my travel bodies and great companions anywhere I go – meet Snusmumrik (on the left) and Vasyutych (on the right)! 

The little monkey Snusmumrik became my friend and travel partner three years ago when I saw him in a Chicago souvenir shop. Our eyes met and instantly I knew this guy was coming with me on a road trip! Since then Snusmumrik has been enjoying the views from the pocket of my backpack.

I know the cutest ever penguin Vasyutych for only half a year, but his friendly personality broke the ice in seconds and he became everybody’s favorite! Even my boyfriend, who is not very fond of pets or in this case stuffed animals, felt sympathy towards Vasyutych. Once the monkey quit being jealous, everybody got along and Vasyutych became my skiing partner, following me during winter trips, while Snusmumrik preferred summer adventures. As you can guess, today I am enjoying the company of Snusmumrik’s curious eyes.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the previous travels. Thank you for taking a peak into my blog!