I don’t care how many countries I’ve been to. Really, I don’t.

I have no idea how many countries I’ve been to. For the last 5 years I’ve roamed the globe, living in very varying locations for shorter or longer stints. But I’ve never counted the amount of countries I’ve been to.

That’s because I don’t care.

Really, I don’t.

I don’t care about the number of stamps in my passport (except when I’m running out of space or the customs officer stamps in the middle of the page taking up too much room unnecessarily).

I don’t care about having a map of all the places I’ve been.

And I don’t have a bucket list. There are of course copious places I still desire to experience. There are also many places I want to revisit and towns within countries I have not yet seen. But I don’t have a tick off list that burns a place in my heart or takes up major time in my conversations with others.

I don’t subscribe to apps or make proud pronouncements on FB.

When people ask me how many countries I’ve been to, I simply reply:

‘I don’t know’.

Because I don’t.

It’s not important that I’ve seen more or less countries than anyone else. It’s not important that I’ve ridden in a tube down a river in Vang Vieng, or flown in helicopter over the Iguazu Falls, or drank peach beer in Bruges. Or done the thing that ‘everyone has to do’ in any particular location.

I do what I feel drawn to do, or that which is the most fun or enjoyable thing I could think of at the time. I might go on that helicopter ride. I might just sit in a cafe and watch the world go by. Or I might strike up a conversation with a local. Or not.

What I do care about. 

I care about experiencing all a moment in a place has to offer. I care about savouring the new sights, smells and tastes. I care about learning how different environments makes me feel, think or react. Learning about myself to a greater level.

But mostly, I care about making connections with people living different lives to me. I’m interested in understanding how they live their lives, act and spend their time.

I care about making sustained and lasting friendships. Sharing, learning and growing with people across the globe.

I also care about understanding culture, traditions and history. There is so much to be gained learning about these different aspects of people and insights into why they do what they do. Understanding others helps me understand not only myself on a deeper level, but also the world.

For example, I’ve been surprised over and over again in every country I’ve been to and the subcultures I’ve interacted with, that racism exists everywhere. Fear of the other in some way. Fear of difference. Creation of divides between peoples on the surface are seemingly fairly similar (such as similar cultural backgrounds and traditions). Some bias from some fight or war hundreds of years ago. Some fear that is as real for them now as it was for their ancestors 200 years ago.

The commonalities between peoples, across very varying cultures, ways of living and being, I find to be profound. Relationships, friendships and family are such strong common denominators (even stronger than fear of the other). Laughter, spending time, value in relationships.

This is what I care about. Finding the commonalities between people. Creating connections across varying countries and traditions. Learning, understanding and growing, together.

Not stamps in passport.

Join me in being moment savourers. In connection and commonality gatherers. Gather stamps and places as well if that tickles your fancy, but make more of the moments centred around connection, with you and people seemingly very different to you.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below.

#momentsavourers