The Bells & The Bees (Of Travels & Hobbies)

This blog's title is a play on the words travels and hobbies (i.e., homonym sounds of their last syllables), two of the things that make life more interesting, satisfying and moving. As with bells that seem to happily announce one's milestones, we likewise mark the start of journeys and arrivals at our destinations with ringing excitement. Think also of bees travelling long distance from one flower to the next for those sweet nectar that they turn into honey. We do the same when we go our way in leisurely pursuits to take in life's goodness and make filling, wonderful memories.

Travels and hobbies enrich our lives. They intensify our experiences and allow us to build connections, whether with other humans or inward ourselves. They ignite our senses: with travel, mostly a sense of adventure and the compelling urge to move and explore; from our hobbies, the feeling of solace and contentment, even when we are only sitting still, intently doing our craft. Both gives us immense pride and pleasure on where we can go and what we can do. Or who we can be.

Like the ringing sound of bells that echoes long after the last sound they make, travels leave a lasting impact on our lives that enables us to view the world differently, to connect to others, to feel more alive. Shown here are old bells on display at a museum in Hanoi, Vietnam. 

Yet many of us cannot, or would not, travel and take up hobbies as much as we want to. Maybe because of its connotations of painstaking work, arduous planning, and time devotion (or spending much, in most cases).  Truth is, it does not necessarily have to be that way. We can actually engage in meaningful travels and gratifying hobbies, with or without the huge burden and expectations that we attach to them.

The key lies on how we see joy in our everyday journeys and passions. We need not even step outside our homes to be able to go places. And no matter how trivial or silly, we best pass time in the company of families or friends. The goal is to get enjoyment from even the smallest of trips or simplest of tasks. To do that, I think we need to first change how we view travelling and hobbies. Distance covered or the magnitude of projects done should not be the yardstick. The most important things are the memories we make each and every time, their impact on our lives and on others, and how we carry on.

This blog is about those stories; not necessarily mine, mind. I will be sharing others' travels and hobbies, too. And yours will be most welcome, thank you!

So whether with the loud, pealing noise of bells or the low, steady buzzing of bees, I wish to fill these pages with common tales of finding extraordinary stories, of travels and hobbies, even in our ordinary days. Happy to have you here! :-)