Amy says: This week we hope you’ll share some of your travel experiences through our theme “Travel has taught me”. And her opening quote says it so well:
Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.
~Anthony Bourdain
I have been traveling since I was 16, so, I guess that question wanted some answers… Some of the answers, and something of what travel taught me, I have tried to show in this gallery from our antipodes in New Zealand. Swedish people cannot travel more far away.
Travel taught me that, despite the many differences, there are more likenesses between living beings and cultures, all over the world. We look much the same, we love doing the same things…sunbathing, playing, swimming…and the animals are just like us! Our traditions and religions vary, but at the core, many of them show great likenesses and some have much the same origin. And Love. We love art in all its shapes and form – our species crave it – and fun art too…a good laugh now and then is essential for our wellbeing. Through traveling, we also celebrate our differences – the spice that fuels our sometimes dreary lives!
And small children still like to wave at the train passing, as well as they like to dress up for a masquerade or a Medieval feast.
Above all, travel taught me tolerance and an open mind. That things can be done differently… and still be good. Even if we are good at many things in my own country, there are countries that are much better in several respects and areas – for example New Zealand, with its long standing environmental priorities. A role model for us all.
We must not forget the food – essential to all living beings. Despite all differencies in ingredients, spices and ways of cooking, we love the variety of it. Steam cooking like this I have met in many countries. New Zealand, Iceland, the Azores, the Canary Islands…across the planet we find Mother Earth willing to give us natural ovens and heat to help us making food ready to eat. Be it buried in the ground or in water, volcanic areas usually have both methods. Our Mother is loving and giving…I wish we humans were more loving and giving too – not only taking. Let us leave our marks in good footprints, and learn from life and travel how we can help instead of use, misuse or abuse.
Next week, John (photobyjohnbo) will lead LAPC #185. The theme is Change – ‘Given that change is inevitable, for this week’s challenge consider change as it applies to you. Maybe it’s the changes in your family over the years, the change of seasons in your favorite park, or even the change in the technology of your camera equipment. In short, what does “change” mean to you? ‘ Be sure to visit John’s site for more.
Leya 
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Memories!
❤
GREAT selections. I love the shades of mountains, and meerkats are always a favorite.
Glad you enjoyed, John – and who doesn’t love meerkats!
Hi Ann-Christine
I have updated my post to include your link. (I had published before your own lovely blog was updated for this week.)
I really appreciate your thoughtful commentary this week, you speak to some universal truths. And you’ve included some lovely photos, including the little mammals standing up on their hind legs. And that poster of a chicken about to cross the road is pure gold, what a hoot!
Here’s my offering for the LAPC 184 Travel topic:
Best, Babsje
Thank you again, Babsje!
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These meerkats are so cute! Thank you for sharing this collection. Travel help us grow, and you have travel since you were 16!
Thank you – and I have grown…bodily and mentally!
Any quote by Anthony Bourdain is my favorite :-). Im ready to start international travel – YESTERDAY. lol. Great post AC – I agree 100% with your reflections.
♥ Let’s go!
I travel through reading other’s experiences/share of their local ways of doing so – more affordable for me AND thank you for sharing your travel adventures as well as what you love in your own locale! 😀 You make my ‘don’t travel physically life’ more abundant! ❤
Just notice your link in my spam and along with a few others. Sorry for beig late here. I agree, there are more likenesses between living beings and cultures, all over the world, well said! I love these travel photos.
Sorry to hear about the storm. Hope everyone is okay…
Thank you, Amy – we are ok, but our forest is worse. Some hundred trees down.
What a marvelous trash can!
The rest of the pictures are wonderful, but that was unexpected 🙂
I love it too – never seen anything like it on any of my travels.
Travel taught me that I like home best. I loved the sights but for the moment I stepped onto the plane I wanted to be back in my own house
Pam – I cannot but agree. I should have written that too! Very few times I have felt I didn’t want to leave for home. But it has happened. The first time in Greenland 1982 and the second time New Zealand in 2012. Greenland because of the beauty and the clean air – it felt like drinking Life. I wanted to bottle it and take some home. New Zealand was a long stay, more than a month, so I came to love this country intensely. And the many likenesses to Sweden, and the Sweden that once was. When I grew up we never locked our doors, we played outdoors and walked the roads without fear. Friendly helpers everywhere – I felt my childhood coming back. And how I missed it.
Home is where the heart is
♥
All good points, all memorably illustrated.
Thank you, Margaret. Others may be more detailed, but this is the whole for me.
Hi Leya – I like how you noted the similarities and differences and the way travel can be ”spice that fuels our sometimes dreary lives!
Also, fun images – the Santa hats in warm weather was my fav today
It was the first and only time I spent Christmas abroad and in a warmer country. Strange to see those clothes in the heat.
yes – we had a few Christmas Holidays in Florida and it is not the same
No.
🙂
The meerkats are so cute, Ann-Christine! It would have been hard for me to walk away from them.
It was for me as well. They are very human in their behaviour and fun to watch.
Wonderful Ann-Christine 🙂
♥
Thank you for the Anthony Bourdain quote ! After he left the world on his own terms I coud not watch his work for a long time . . . time has brought peace and I am catching up on the world nightly watching his ‘Parts Unknown’ series . . . what an education ! Am selfishly sad there will be no more . . . meanwhile also a big thank you for the gorgeous meerkat photos – they surely are not afraid to show their curiosity . . .
I don’t know about that program, we don’t have it in Sweden. He must have been a carismatic person.
I am hugely surprised you have not had any of the twelve seasons of the programme shown in Sweden ! It has been shown throughout the world and there seems never a time its repeats are not on at some time of day here because of its cultural and sociological value. However Mr Google tells me there are a plethora of ways to watch episodes on demand. Perchance you will happen to ‘meet’ somewhere . . .
Maybe on channels we don’t have. We are not huge TV watchers.
Beautifully said in words and images Ann-Christine! I enjoyed your meercat photos and the boys jumping off the wharf. Am I repeating Manja’s thoughts?? See we do think alike and enjoy the same things worldwide!
Thank you, Anne – we do think alike. And the differences are intriguing too.
Of course I share your wish that we could be more loving and giving, much as Mother Nature is Ann-Christine. After this past weekend’s snowstorm in the northeastern US we are reminded that she too has her bad mood days LOL. As for travel, I suspect you may have covered more ground than any of the rest of us my friend. Tolerance and an open mind – if only! A lovely commentary on travel as it opens our minds and hearts. And who could view your meerkats without a smile for the day?!
Well, I wish I always was tolerant and openminded – at least I try my best. As you say, nature has its moods…and as we are natural living beings, so do we. We’ve just had a terrible storm here, and many of our trees have fallen, blocking roads and railways and making forest walk diffcult. Cars and houses were damaged too, and there were some casualties even. I am never that angry…;-D I need some meerkats more often to cheer me up! Glad you liked them too!
I read about the storm but didn’t realize it had affected you so directly. I hope you and your family are all ok and you didn’t have any real damage to your home or property. Mother Nature’s wrath has been very strong of late. Patti’s area just had a terrible snowstorm also I think. Frightening
Thank you, Tina, we are OK. But our forest has lost quite some trees. We went up there to check it out, and some hundred trees were broken or fallen.
Wow! So sad A-C, but I guess that’s how our forests make room for new growth??? At least thinking that might make us feel better about it.
Yes, true.
Ahh, what a sweet gallery! We are all the same, aren’t we? I especially like that fish basket and the boys at play. And the first two together like this. 🙂
♥ Thank you, Manja! I love meercats, they look very human. And the boys are nice too;-D