The Magnetic Pull of New People, Places and Spaces
To travel is to explore new people, places and spaces which nurture and enhance our soul.
👋🏼 Hey, I’m Joanna! I’m a communications consultant sharing insights and ideas relating to democracy, wellbeing, AI, culture, spiritualism and the human condition…read on if this has piqued your interest.
We choose to travel because our subconscious wants us to feel more alive.
As summer travel season kicked off two months ago, this thought pierced my mind as I considered my own travel destinations and explorations. We travel to different countries for different reasons. Some go for exploration. Others for convenience. Many want to rest in the sun; others are tempted by cooler climates and non-tourist routes. Travel is a unique moment and experience in our human memory as they serve to give us a temporary dose of what we are seeking which our everyday home environment cannot, or will not, provide. It also gives us a glimmer of a different reality; something which strengthens our sense of hope and faith. Because of this, travel is magnetic.
As humans we dislike stagnation – especially if it involves limitations being placed on where we can take ourselves physically, but also spiritually. Travelling is a uniquely human pursuit – it engages all our senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste). It quickens our senses but equally slows them down at the same time. It pulls us out of ourselves and exposes characteristics and qualities that we may have never knew existed. How many experiences offer that?
Just as we each interpret a book of fiction differently and latch onto specific moments – I may experience a sense of pride reading about the evolution of the main character, whilst someone else may fixate on their dissolved marriage – the same applies to travel. Why do we experience a magnetic pull with certain people, places and spaces? What does it teach us about ourselves and what do we do with this information?
Up until a few years ago, my travel experiences were largely dwarfed by other people; the family holidays, the friendship trips, the adventure and site-seeing moments collectively arranged by someone who was not me. All of this was enjoyable to a certain degree. But by travelling with others, I was there for a purpose. Not for myself. Or not at least entirely for myself.
Solo-travel can send shivers down some people’s spines. But I firmly believe that it is a vital thing to do, at least once a year. Being by yourself forces you to become more physically and emotionally self-aware. Your energy is your own. And when you become self-aware you become more in tune with your environment, the people and your feelings about both. When we feel we are in tune with our body. And when we are in tune with how our body feels we can tap directly and cleanly into our intuition and presence.
This is what I experienced when I set out on my first month-long solo trip during the foggy days of the pandemic three years ago. Beholden to a restrictive traffic travel list (remember that?) I cut loose and risked a COVID red-list trip to the south of Spain. Seville was a destination I had a historical curiosity in, but I had no drastic drive to go there. Tempted by alarmingly cheap plane tickets (there were eight passengers on the flight) and a spontaneous desire to roll the dice and see what I would find, I boarded the flight with no expectations beyond hot weather.
Without knowing it, this turned out to be one of the most profound trips of my life.
Whether it was because of the physical restrictions induced by the pandemic, or if it was because I decided to commit to a solo trip, my entire physical, mental and spiritual state was receptive and alert to the sights and sounds of Seville and Spanish culture.
Why is this important?
Firstly, it heightened my energetic awareness. People often talk about the energy of a place, but rarely do they delve into what creates this energy. Seville, alongside California, are places where I feel a sense of spiritual energy created by the cultivation of spiritual/religious practices in these places. In turn, I feel a sense of peace and calmness. Similarly, this spiritual undertone creates a natural foundation and synergy for creativity to arise, and both Seville and California possess this through their emphasis on visual creativity (architecture and palaces in Seville; the film industry and entertainment in Hollywood). This informs me that my soul feels at home in places which value creativity and spirituality in their very essence.
Secondly, it heightened my cultural awareness. What is it that we like/dislike about a country’s culture and why? Regarding Seville, it was my awareness of the Spanish need to “move in packs”. The Spanish, as in all cultures, enjoy their sense of individual identity and ability to do things on their own. Yet rarely do you see a Spaniard going out for a meal by themselves. Rather than being atomised it is more collectivised by the family unit and local connections. This suggests that I warm to places which prioritise this and the importance of close community.
Thirdly, it showed me how I want to live. What is it about another place or space and the people who reside there that make us want to live there? Climate-wise, hot countries and the pull of the sun and the brightness which accompanies it makes me feel more optimistic, alert and breezy. I love spending time outdoors and in nature. Having the sun’s gaze on me for long periods throughout the day improves my sense of wellbeing and the wellbeing of everyone. People are more relaxed, they trickle to the beach at the weekend, and clamour together in communal squares in the evening to socialise. It gives me energy and a greater sense of exploration. It expands my energy rather than restricting it.
Fourthly, it made me tap into my feelings more. What surprised me the most was how muted and restricted being in the UK often makes me feel. Every country has its own problems, political or otherwise. But being in a foreign country often makes you naïve about its problems, as you can only see and feel what you like. Feelings are like frequencies; the more energised and optimistic you feel, the greater your ability to actually experience them. Mundane moments feel more meaningful and miraculous.
Fifthly, I discovered new aspects of myself that I never knew existed. It was around this time that I started to actively lean into my creativity more and gave a voice to it. The energies and characteristics of our newly discovered selves provides a new lens to look at life through, creating shades of experience that we didn’t think possible. I would never thought five years ago that in 2024 I would be actively learning the Spanish language every day and being low-key obsessed with Spanish ceramics (making it as well as buying it).
My regular readers know that I love “logical activities” as a former law academic at Cambridge University, but I increasingly think there is more to discover that “makes sense” when we lean into our intuition. Our intuition is like an inner compass; it whispers to us to where our soul feels called to go, whether that be to accomplish something, discover something or meet particular people. Our ego mind wants to know exactly what we will gain from going somewhere. What will be accomplished? In contrast, our intuition empowers us to make the discovery on arrival. And if we want to feel more alive, why not be open to a surprise?
This is why I find astrocartography – “a discipline of astrology that can help you narrow down the best places to live or visit, based on your birth chart. This astrological method can help you hone the places that make you feel the most alive” – fascinating when used alongside intuition. We don’t know why we are called to certain places and spaces and the people who are there. But we will when we arrive.
When we are aligned with what we like, we can easily find more of it. Awareness of what brings us positively attracts more of it into our lives. And through positivity we move our energy forward and progress into who we are supposed to become. Restriction is a thing of the past; flow is the feeling of the future. Where will new people, places and spaces take you?
Reminds me of something I heard many years ago from a traveller called Ben Davenport - We don't travel to see different things, we travel to see things differently.