Through my eyes

"He (man) adamantly refuses to acknowledge that within the immediate focus of vision is the source of revelation. In a rock, he sees nothing more than a rock, in a flower nothing more than a flower and in man nothing more than man...If the gate will not give way it must be forced. Nothing can dam the rising tide. And all the evidence points to the fact that the tide is rising. Let man make himself as secure as he imagines, the gate will give way."

I am struggling with the concept that everywhere and everyone is the same, yet no one person or place is similar.

Why hike in Australia when you can go hike in America? Why travel 20 hours to sit on an isolated beach in New Zealand when you can hop on a short flight to Mexico? I think this perspective is quite popular, especially in America. If you view each location as strictly activity based, (relaxing on a beach, the act of hiking itself), then yes, everywhere can be the same.

So what set locations apart? The first answer is obvious (and a bit boring), the difference is in geological features; sand, surf, location, size, etc. Australia's unique landscapes and ecosystems are entirely different than Mexico, or the Bahamas for instance.

The second answer, I would argue, are the experiences we attribute to each destination. From this perspective, a beach is not just a beach. Our feelings, social interactions and personal realizations; these are what separate beaches from beaches, mountains from mountains. This world is a blank slate. We leave mental footprints, wherever we journey to; our memories and experiences define and set locations apart. I can assure you I was a much different person on the beaches of Thailand, than I was standing on the coastline of Australia, taking it all in. Two extremely different mindsets.

It's the same way a photo is not just a photo. It’s how each individual person see’s the world through their own eyes. We all see something differently, despite experiencing and viewing the same thing. Different results will always be produced.

Journey, and journey far.