The Traveling Psychiatrist: Wanderlust & Wellbeing
Wanderlust
Being a non-native English speaker, I was well into my twenties when I first came across the word wanderlust: the wish to travel far away and to many different places. Yet, now that I know this word, I realise that I have been familiar with its true meaning since I was eight, when I first stepped into a plane, and then into a foreign country (Thailand, and then Singapore). The following year, I traveled back to Far East Asia (Thailand and Indonesia), and that is how I became addicted to traveling. At the age of nine, I had already experienced my wanderlust, and from then on, I would travel abroad every summer. I have to thank my family for this; I clearly remembering my parents borrowing my world globe and planning the next family trip abroad – only within a few days from our return back home.
Traveling
For me, traveling is so much more than just visiting a new place, city or country, and taking beautiful pictures. Coming in contact with different civilizations, religions and customs has given me a springboard to start challenging the world and not taking a single thing for granted. Sightseeing and visiting museums, natural landmarks and other places of interest are of course very important. As is learning about the history and the geography of the place. Or about different people, and their customs, and interacting with them. As is trying the local cuisine, savoring new ingredients, or going out to the places the locals go out to. In other words, getting acquainted with a different culture is probably what got me hooked to traveling, and why visiting a place once is simply not enough.
At the same time, traveling is a holiday. It is a break from my routine, an exciting opportunity to do something different to what I usually do. When I travel, I often read more, not only about the place I visit, but also literature (crime novels, usually taking place in that very part of the world). I get to discover new music, artists and songs I’d never heard of before (sometimes in languages I don’t even understand). I’ve even been to concerts whilst abroad to immerse myself deep into the soul and music of the place. Nowadays, I tend to plan my travels to coincide with music festivals; for example, being a jazz- and Scandi-phile, I would like to go to as many jazz festivals in Norway as possible.
About the Traveling Psychiatrist
For these reasons, this blog is not just about traveling and sightseeing, but also about activities that most of us (including myself) associate with traveling: reading, eating and drinking. At the same time, being a Psychiatrist, I couldn’t help it but also include a wellbeing strand. This started off in September 2018 with my post ‘10 tips to beat those post-holiday blues’, followed by ‘5 ways to recover from travel fatigue’. Then, on the World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October, I shared ‘10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing’. As a Psychiatrist I follow a holistic approach to wellbeing; this includes nutrition, reading, purposeful and pleasurable activities, which in a way brings us back full circle to traveling and the aforementioned associated activities. In 2019, I plan to continue along those lines blending these very strands: traveling, wellbeing, healthy eating and reading.
To follow my travels around the world, simply subscribe to the Traveling Psychiatrist (just click on the menu on the left hand side).
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)
Further reading
Apparently, I am not the only one who had the idea of combining traveling with wellbeing. These inspiring books by Lonely Planet embody my personal values and the Traveling Psychiatrist’s philosophy:
Happy: Secrets to Happiness from the Cultures of the World
Calm: Secrets to Serenity from the Cultures of the World
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