Mantra

Here’s a confession: while I dream of holidays that consist of slow afternoons and going wherever our feet take us, a Kiasu Traveller alter ego takes over as soon as I get on the plane. I obsess about hitting the must-see tourist spots and I am equally determined to cover ground, find nooks and alleys that travel books and blogs have missed and stake my claim. This requires strategic (albeit last minute) planning, lining up districts and road names, sorting them in-between meals. Throw food planning into the mix, and it’s a whole other ballgame.

On the other hand, Sam is a world apart. He spends his pre-trip time scanning travel forums and blogs, gets his claws on every possible mainstream/locally written guidebook, and internalises all this information to perfection. When he gets to his destination though, stressing out about following a fixed itinerary is the last thing he wants to do. With all that handy know-how locked in, he prefers to let things fall into place in a very subconscious, zen-like manner, and he will walk down any photogenic side alley he stumbles across, while I calm my butterflies and tell myself that we are not lost. It all works out because in the end, I get the vacations I dream of right from the start!

These customised leather luggage tags came in the mail today after a couple short weeks of waiting. I saw these on All Things Stylish and immediately made a beeline to place an order for a slightly modified version — in a pair! I can’t think of a better way to commemorate the travels and lessons we’ve learnt on the road. The Tolkien quote is a perfect representation of Sam’s travel philosophy, and is a reminder for me to rest my worries, and let my heart + mind wander where they please for all of life’s journeys, not just those on planes or trains!