Klement Backpacking and Ministry 2012: Thailand, Cambodia

     by Regin Reyno

            St. Augustine, a theologian and philosopher once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Travelling indeed imparts wisdom to the traveller. The experiences encountered along the way, the sights, the sounds, the emotions, all contribute to the traveller’s knowledge, which will enable him/her to become a better individual because of his/her travels. 

            That's what I love about travelling. It's the important lessons that you get along the way. It's your experiences, your newly explored sights, the discoveries that you make, that will transform you into a better individual.  

            Your once naive mind sheltered in a cocoon, but because of travelling, will have broader horizons. You'll have better idea of what the world is and your perception will widen. So wide that you realize that there are vast amount of things not taught in school. 

But there are many kinds of travellers. One is the tourists (traditional traveller) who go for the sights and the photos. These are the ones who book in travel agency for travel tours, where they have a guide which tells them where to go and what to do. They stay in hotels. They usually go for as what I have said, photos, touristy sites, and resorts. The problem with this kind of traveller is they don't really experience the place. So you go to other countries just to stay in a resort? Better go to a nearby resort in your place, right?  Some even watch TV in their hotel room for the whole day. (You don't have TV at home?) There's nothing wrong with this kind of travelling, but again, you lack experience of the place. That's the reason you travelled in the first place.

a backpacker