Almost all of the talk around these parts focuses on the general goal (in my observation) of attaining greater heights of human potential and exploring the obscure and hidden parts of oneself. That's why this forum is amazing! One thing that I haven't seen much about is the potential for travel to be an opening experience in itself. I don't mean a road trip to a buddy or something, but more along the lines of immersion within a new and unfamiliar culture, as is becoming quite popular with many people around the world.

Although I have yet to have a breakthrough experience on DMT, which is a prevalent theme around here, I feel that travelling has brought me closer to myself than I would have ever imagined prior to leaving my hometown. While I backpacked around new zealand, I was introduced to spirituality, meditation retreats, sacred entheogens, and all sorts of communal events/festivals that quite literally blew my mind, and I have been a different person ever since. Far from answering all my questions, travelling instead allowed me to discover that there even were questions to be asked, and gave me the freedom of independence to explore a few of them without the stigmas of my isolated hometown.

I know that the true search for wisdom is to be sought internally, but I would have never even considered these issues if I hadn't changed my external circumstances in a drastic way. Since returning home, life has been much more difficult as I have struggled to integrate the new aspects of myself that I discovered with a very different reflection of the expectations of a lifetime of friends. It has outcast me somewhat, but I have not given up my internal quest, as the few truths that I have touched keep pushing me forward.

I would be curious to see who else has been lead to a spiritual path through travelling, or generally how the external journey to new lands can enhance the internal knowledge we all are seeking.

And I bring it up because I am trying to make plans for another extended trip soon

I think many people completely depreciate the idea that when they smoke DMT and find themselves on an alien planet, that that's as close as they'll most likely ever come to leaving Earth and seeing elsewhere in the universe.

Travel affords one many amzing opportunities and experiences. I am a traveler and next month I find myself Guatemala bound and from there, who knows. I have purchased a one way ticket to Cancun and look forward to the opportunity to travel new lands, meet new people, and immerse myself fully into a new culture. Hopefully I will be able to share some of my own knowledge and gain some in return.

I used to travel a lot, what I learned is that people are mostly the same wherever you go. And sooner or later I'd bump into a bunch of egocentric "travelers" from a similar privilged
background to my own, seeking "worldly and or spiritual enlightenment." That was twenty years ago, things haven't improved in the interim. Some beautiful memories though, my wife and I still talk about them. But spiritual enlightenment? No, that I've found closer to home and a lot less expensive too.

[color=green]" As often as I have been among men, I have come home a lesser man" :