Or: Why I Actually Get on Planes
Let’s be real for a sec. Traveling isn’t always glamorous. Airports suck. Your luggage always ends up heavier somehow. And there’s always that moment of “Why am I even doing this?”
But at the core of it — beyond the chaos, the missed trains, the dodgy Airbnbs — people travel for one simple reason:
We’re chasing beauty.
That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
And after a decent bit of globetrotting, I’ve boiled this beauty chase down to just three types. You ready?
1. City Beauty
This is for the architecture nerds, the Instagram wanderers, the “Ooooh, look at that building!” crowd.
City beauty is that buzz you get walking through a place that’s had thousands of years of human hands shaping it. It’s Rome’s ruins, Prague’s fairy-tale skyline, or Tokyo’s neon chaos.
It’s riding a perfectly timed metro or accidentally stumbling into a centuries-old cathedral while looking for a bathroom.
This is the domain of:
- Prague – cobblestone streets, castles, and enough charm to sell a Hallmark Christmas movie.
- Amsterdam – picturesque canals and city planning that actually works.
- New York City – the controlled chaos, the skyline, the “I can make it here” vibe.
I love a good city. I want a vibe, a layout that makes sense, buildings that make me stop walking just to stare for a sec. Give me a skyline. Give me a winding old town. Bonus points if there’s a late-night shawarma spot nearby.
2. Nature Beauty
Mountains. Beaches. Waterfalls. Forests. All that pure, untouched Earth stuff.
This is the type of travel that makes you feel small — in a good way.
Some people LIVE for this. They’ll hike for six hours just to get to a lake no one’s ever Instagrammed. They’ll sleep in a tent, eat protein bars, and call it heaven.
Think:
- Patagonia – the “desktop wallpaper” kind of stuff.
- Iceland – waterfalls and landscapes that look like CGI.
- Banff, Canada – the lakes so blue they make you question your screen settings.
Me? I respect it. I appreciate a good view. But I’m not hopping on a three-hour bus just to see “yet another waterfall.” If it’s a quick trip from the city center? Sure, I’m in. Otherwise, I’ll Google Image it from the comfort of my Airbnb.
3. People Beauty
This one’s underrated — but it’s huge.
People beauty is just… seeing what kinds of humans are out there. How they look, how they dress, how they talk, flirt, eat, live. Every place has its own energy — and its own faces.
Ever met an Estonian? Probably not. But go to Tallinn, and you’ll realize, “Oh wow, these folks have a whole different vibe.”
The way a city looks is one thing. The way its people move through it? That’s next-level.
I’m big on this one. I love watching how other cultures operate. I love sitting at a cafe just people-watching. I want to know what the locals are like — what makes them tick, what makes them hot, what makes them them.
People beauty is about seeing how different we are. The food, the mannerisms, the jawlines, the fashion choices, the way someone says “hello.” It’s anthropology with a cocktail in hand.
It’s asking:
- What do Norwegians look like?
- What does flirting look like in Argentina?
- What’s the local swagger in Miami?
You don’t truly know how diverse and fascinating humanity is until you’re watching a family argue in a language you can’t identify, while seated at a night market eating something unidentifiable — and loving it.
For me, this one is huge. I want to meet the locals. See how they live. Flirt a little. Dance badly. Maybe get ghosted in a new timezone. That’s the magic.
So, Which One Does It for You?
Maybe you’re a mountain chaser. Maybe you’re a city slicker. Maybe you’re just here to flirt with strangers in cafes across Europe. No judgment.
For me?
- ✅ City Beauty — big yes.
- ✅ People Beauty — absolutely.
- ✅Nature Beauty — meh (for me, atleast), unless it’s very, very close to the metro.
Travel is just chasing what excites you.
You’ve got to figure out what kind of beauty you’re actually looking for.
That’s the game.
Now go play it.
