- We travel because we are curious, wanting to see, try and learn new things.
- We travel to meet interesting people.
- We travel for fun.
- We travel for escapism, to get away from "normal" for a little while.
However, mulling over my list of reasons why I enjoy traveling, I realized that you don't need to head to the end of the world for many of these experiences.
So this year I've decided to experiment with exploring the world without leaving home.
Let me explain.
I am fortunate to live in London, England. It's one of the most diverse cities on the planet, with diasporas from every country imaginable. It makes sense for me to get out in my own city more, to delve a little deeper.
So, for 2011, I have hatched a plan to try to eat in a restaurant representing a country from each letter of the alphabet. There are no other rules than that. Starting with 'A for Afghanistan' I will munch my way haphazardly across the world of London. I'll pick each country on the basis of me having been there before, or me not having been there before, or because it's famous for its food, or because it's not famous for anything. In other words there is no set plan, though presumably Oman and Qatar will feature! And any suggestions for 'X' would be most welcome...
I am looking for random, spontaneous encounters such as those that light up our travels. I'm only just beginning, but I suspect that this could become one of the most interesting (and delicious) traveling years of my life so far.