Hi, I’m Tanisha, a 20 year old and I am obsessed with trees. I don’t know why but I only feel free when I am not in the city, where nobody knows me. In cities, I feel like I am bound by my identity. My identity makes me want to fit in the box of responsibilities and entrance into the society.

When you live in a society, you are assigned certain roles and expectations of what you should ideally be like. So just get away from those people and go closer to the pure green earth and discover who you are before people tell you who to become.

When you are stuck in office, finishing up another stressful day at work, you’ve doubtless fantasies about being somewhere else – in a hammock, perhaps with a mocktail and listening to the turquoise waves against white sandy beaches.

Fantasizing about islands is common enough – almost as common as the feeling of disappointment that such islands often inspire in real life. Instead of beaches and relaxation, a trip to the islands also means crowds, mosquitoes and sunburn. Indeed, the idea of travel is usually a great deal more enjoyable than reality. For starters, travel isn’t the best way to escape from your problems, because wherever you go – well, there you’ll be.

Traveling, while having its share of pitfalls, can bring great pleasure. Looking at art is an excellent way to learn to appreciate landscapes, and traveling in nature can bring peace of mind, especially if we draw and write about what we see. Wherever you are, it is important to pay attention to the details – that’s the easiest way to find enjoyment in your surroundings.

Pollution, traffic, buildings – these things could have nothing but a effect on one’s inner well-being.  Hence, it’s no surprise that people often choose to go on vacation in the natural world, where they can heal and relax.

Have you ever observed the habits of tourists? They tend to spend little time actually looking at historic monuments or breathtaking landscapes and not with a camera or phone, they snap a few photos and move on to the next sight. But, if one doesn’t take the time to truly observe things, what is the point of travel?

If you’d like to sharpen your focus and deepen your appreciation of what you see, try drawing the things you encounter.Unlike snapping a photograph, which takes no time at all, the time-consuming process of drawing invites us to ask questions. How, for instance, why are some leaves are different shade of green from others? Writing provokes us into paying close attention to every detail, and it’s this state of focus that will help us appreciate where we are.

Today, there’s no need to explore because, thanks to people, the world has already been explored.

You are not what you look like. You are a result of your experiences. There’s too much beauty in the world and we are busy drowning in our own.