I was seated next to a window of an airplane, thinking that – once, not so long ago, I was merely looking at other people’s photographs of the sky. The sky from different parts of the world I longed to visit. And now, I have been fortunate enough to make some of those photographs, for myself. I never really realised how much I would love travelling; until I embarked on my first ever trip to a new place. From then onwards, I encouraged myself to travel as often as possible. I started to feel that collecting entry stamps on my passport would soon become an amazing accomplishment, and that taking photos of different scenery would suddenly make my Instagram more worthy of admiration and follows.

One day, I sat myself down while drinking coffee in an open area somewhere in Hallstatt, Austria. Filled with inquisitiveness, I stared at wooden cabins on nearby hills; the design of the houses was so intricate, that it took me hours to see and appreciate all the details before me. I could vividly hear the breeze, as it whipped through tree branches, and rippled the waters. I heard a symphony of melody, and saw a rainbow of colours as birds danced, one sunny morning.I saw such luminous beauty, that I suddenly came to a realization: after all the collected photographs of the beautiful places that I visited; after all the planned and spontaneous trips – what was it that I really took home from these travel experiences? Did it really just culminate in a series of photos for my Instagram page?

Beyond the albums of memories, and the increasingly stamped pages of my passport, I came to realise that travelling around didn’t just give my eyes sites to see. It gave me a chance to see the world from a perspective that was truly humbling. It made me grateful, and thankful to be alive. In the past, it would be easy for me to ignorantly navigate my way through foreign roads, but now I have been enriched with a sense of appreciation for the smaller details. What it is that makes that street special; the stories, the architecture – its place in the fabric of this world’s vast patchwork of marvels.

Travelling is an eye-opener, and helped me to reevaluate how the smallest detail can play a vital part in the biggest story. How the smallest building could be the center of an empire. Learning to see the true enchantment of a river tearing through a multitude of rocks, and how further downstream, those same waters trickle gently over a sea of pebbles. Being able to recognise the exquisiteness of something, big or small – this appreciation is what travelling the world has taught me. Yes, it costs to travel – but what I have gained from it? That is priceless. Some things that are right in front of you, are easy to overlook; they just require observation. I needed to leave the comfort of my home to learn this, and I’m happy that - even if it took a while - I gained a far richer appreciation of everything. Now I’m seated, once more, by the window of an airplane, documenting the stories of my travels, ready to soak in a new experience, and ready to embark on a new adventure.