WELLNESS TOURISM

Wanderlust When I think of the ultimate traveller, birds come to mind. Watching one disappear into the horizon, wondering where it came from, and where it is heading next. Some birds spend most of their lives in flight, constantly travelling around the world guided by instinct, weather and light. Others return to the exact same patch of earth every season. Filling the sky with motion and bringing song to our lives, no landscape picture quite captures their omnipresence. Yet, they’re there,...

Wanderlust Somewhere right now, in a packed stadium, in living rooms, in pubs and sports bars with the volume turned all the way up, people are watching the FIFA World Cup. It has held a global audience captive for the better part of a month, with a viewership split of roughly 70 percent men to 30 percent women worldwide. The World Cup is just the loudest example right now. Because while the final whistle has blown and the win is celebrated, there are also cycling, golf and tennis...

Wanderlust Some of travel used to be for stimulation. Novelty. Entertainment. More. But a lot has changed. Modern life is already accelerated through a novelty spiral. Man-made environments are designed to stimulate us, conditions that are intended to distract and draw us away from ourselves. The devices we carry around also compete for our attention. With the average attention span per social media post at 8 seconds, content is aimed at hooking us in less than 3 seconds. Think about that....

Wanderlust Lanterns cast a dim light over neatly trimmed garden plants and shrubs. A ginkgo tree sifts sunlight through its foliage. Elegant maple trees with red leaves, both vibrant and delicate. A moist, green slope of ground-hugging moss. Spring water trickling down a stack of rocks, moving slowly, stone over stone into stone; a discreet soundscape so constant it begins to sound like silence. Water. Undercurrents stirring, ripples on the surface, hot steam slowly rising and misting the...

Wanderlust Increasingly, places feel seen before they’re visited. It happens so easily these days, suffice to put in a few prompts or search words, or mention a destination in passing to someone you know, and most of your devices will flash up with eager tips, must-see instructions and articles about it. What started as a farfetched idea can quickly lose its charm when you are inundated with listicles, social posts and video blogs. Even when we knowingly throw ourselves into the depths of...

Wanderlust There is one type of background noise that is particularly hard to ignore. It begins as a low hum, some neck stiffness after a long meeting. Then a whisper, a pull between the shoulder blades. Then, it won’t stop talking, the dull ache has claimed territory at the base of the spine. Before you know it, lower back pain has installed itself as a permanent tenant. You start wondering: “Where exactly is it hurting? Is it a herniated disc? Have I pulled something?” The floor suddenly...