While thinking about themes for the eventual backstory two quotes about traveling came to mind. The first is actually by Mohammed and is very straightforward: “Do not tell me how educated you are, tell me where you have traveled.” (I am not a Muslim but think that saying is very instructive.) My absolute favorite call to travel though is by a Brahmin poet who lived in what is now the violently contested territory of Kashmir:
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A poet should learn with his eyes the forms of leaves.
He should know how to make people laugh
when they are together.
He should go to see what they are really like.
He should know about oceans and mountains
in themselves.
And the sun and the moon and the stars.
His mind should enter into the seasons.
He should go among many people in many places
and learn their languages.
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Below is the same poem using the third person singular feminine…I think it makes a difference whether one reads “he” or “she” even though we make think to ourselves the poem can be interpreted to be gender neutral while reading it in its typical translation. It’s interesting what the different feelings we may have when actually reading it with a female subject tell us about our subconscious minds. Hope you enjoy the sensation:
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A poet should learn with her eyes the forms of leaves.
She should know how to make people laugh
when they are together.
She should go to see what they are really like.
She should know about oceans and mountains
in themselves.
And the sun and the moon and the stars.
Her mind should enter into the seasons.
She should go among many people in many places
and learn their languages.
..