The urge to travel. Some of us have it, some don’t. Those that do can have it more than others. To those that do, sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.
Read that again, only this time replace “travel” with “be modified”. Of course it could be applied to a great many things, which is what happens when you talk in generalities. But lets get back to the travel bug. I’ll admit I enjoy getting away, be it a road trip, camping, or hopping on a plane. No matter the destination, there’s this thrill involved in putting your life into a suitcase and leaving everything else behind.
Personally, I like to keep track of the places I’ve been. Be it little mementos, photographs, or just dots on a map. Whether the experience is good or bad, to me just being able to have the journey is enough to satisfy me. So when I see a tattoo like this one, I can’t help but think to myself, where have I been, and where would I like to go.
Obviously this is still a fresh piece, and I don’t know if it is completed or not, but just looking at it makes me want to hop on a plane. I traveled around the US this summer camping in a lot of national parks, so I think my next trip will either be spent visiting friends, or grabbing the first flight overseas and seeing where my travels take me. Of course if I ever meet the anonymous submitter of this tattoo, I may ask if I can use a sharpie to mark off all the places I’ve been.
It’s interesting to think of the ritual of travel, and how it varies for each person. Like I mentioned I try to keep some form of memento of the places I’ve been. For others, just the experience is all they need. To some, packing as much as possible is the only way to go, others pack as little as possible to allow for some freedom while going across a country. Then there’s the technology question. Which in this day and age is becoming more and more significant a question. When you travel do you bring your electronic gadgets? Obviously those travelling for work would, but what about the rest of the people? Do you “need” your iPhone if you’re hiking through the rainforest? Is your laptop vital when you’re walking the streets of Prague? These are all questions travelers are faced with now. 20-30 years ago, these weren’t even options available to those going on a journey. Have things changed so much that we can’t live without them, or is it still possible to just disappear off the grid for a while and enjoy where life takes you?
Is there a special place you’ve been to recently? Maybe one you’ve always wanted to go to? Can you point it out on the map that’s tattooed on the person above?
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Traveling is so different for me when im alone VS. with others.
when im on my own it really helps me get my mind and shit together, cuz its just me. y’know?
i get to make all the choices, just for myself. and ive got no one to rely on but myself. i can travel light and go when/wherever i want. i can go get into trouble and no one has to deal with the consequences but me. or i can just aly around and do nothing.
with other it involves more STUFF, more playing by the rules of the airlines or local law. everything is on a schedule or a budget or a plan. its still great to travel with people you like and love, but the adventure is different.
ive been to California (NorCal hecka Rules!), Hawaii, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong and Australia. out of them all i miss Kyoto the most.
Looks Hawaii’s missing from the world!
Maybe this guy just wanted the world on his shoulders and it has nothing to do with travelling …
But to answer the questions …I absolutely love traveling and if I could I would do it all time. I always bring things back from wherever I’ve been (shells from the ocean, clogs from Holland, toys from China) and I usually make photo albums and nerdy things like that so I have a way to show off the great time I spent. Traveling light is definitely the way to go! Who wants to carry around baggage when they’re exploring?? Especially your laptop or phone! I travel to get away from home not to be constantly pestered by what people are doing in the city I spend all my boring days. And I suggest for anyone who is traveling to go to Europe. Do the whole backpacking thing and hit up a ton of places so you get a sense of what’s out there and then you can plan future trips to go back to your favorite places!
Happy travels folks!
I have a map tattooed on my forearm that isn’t quite as realistic as this one but will serve my purposes well. Which is to travel the world marking off all the places I experience. A lot of people like to travel, but there are those that need it to feel right. Like modifications, I feel like I need to leave and explore frequently if I want to be truly happy.
Dude, this is soooo weired haha.
I just got the exact same thing done myself.
http://www.gaddad.se/gallery/tattoo/143660/
I marked the places I’ve been to with red.
I spent a year living in Norway. If I’d get a geographical tattoo like this, it would probably be a map of that, including Svalbard. On the other hand, I shudder to think anyone having to even trace the Norwegian coastline.