The Socratic Traveller

this being the season where foes, friends and family take off to new places to see new faces, here are some great tips i have taken from the book "Socrates Way" by Ronald Gross to share with you, that you may want to keep in mind to get the most out of your travels:

1. Free your mind from preconceptions about your destination so you can see it with fresh eyes.

2. Ask good questions about the places and people you visit before, during, and after your trip.

3. Seek out experiences, not just things to buy.

4. Look for the values that motivate the people you visit.

5. As what you can learn about yourself in the particular places and among the people you meet.

6. Seek out the most interesting range of different people and places.

7. Come home with your soul strengthened by your travels.

Remember~ you're leaving home to find diversity and stimulation! :) Leave your biases at home and enjoy yourself!

*afterthought - one of the most annoying and mechanical responses i have heard from many Singaporeans from their travels is "Oh! I have learnt that I am sooooo lucky to be living in Singapore that everything works! blah blah.. so dirty there.. so poor.. shops close so early.. "

no doubt gratitude is good (thanks to our very efficient government and certainly some laudable policies they have implemented), but surely there is something worthy to be noted in the other countries as well, no? look at the relaxed smiles of the people! the free enterprise! the spirit of the people -yes, even the ones who try to rip you off! for it seems to me that for the entire duration of the holiday, these people have done little else than compared Singapore to what these places didn't offer, rather than focused on what they could learn and what these places and people had that we didnt'.

keep an open mind, i always say, DON'T WASTE YOUR HOLIDAY!!