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On these pages, Naviva, a Four Seasons resort, Punta Mita, México ©Four Seasons

What is the point of having a desire if one cannot find a Examples? Venice, a city that has inspired feelings and
way to fulfill it? What is a journey if not a path to finding one’s passion for centuries, a magical place that seems to have
place in the world? This is what drives us, and it is above all been created by desire itself. Or Egypt, with its pyramids, a
what makes us go beyond our borders to find a place that still unexplored mystery, monuments that rise majestically in
makes us feel at home. And make us feel special. It could be the desert and are a symbol of power, wealth and immortali-
any place on the planet, and we may not even know it. Indeed, ty. Or, on the other side of the globe, Machu Picchu in Peru, an
it is a desire that we only discover fulfilled when we are there, ancient Inca city in the Andes, built in a place that is difficult
thus we keep wandering, to follow one’s heart. to reach, and for this reason a symbol of resistance and de-
The places we desire are an abstract goal that sooner termination, of freedom and independence. And then comes
or later become reality. “People don’t take trips – trips take the sea, infinite and fascinating, awe–inspiring and attractive,
people” said the American writer John Steinbeck, and there lapping golden beaches like those of the Maldives, but also
is no finer thing than becoming better by feeling in the prime those closer to us, like those of Sardinia.
of life. This, then, is what turns a place into a desire, and this is And so, in the end, what are places we desire? They are
what turns desire into a place. But above all, this explains the fragments of the world that exert a magnetic attraction and
fact that everyone finds their own personal place of desire, to therefore take on profound significance. They are meta-
realize their dreams. phors for dreams, aspirations, memories or even an escape
In short, there are those who seek America in pursuit of from daily routine, and going there is an action that goes be-
freedom, those who come from the other side of the world yond mere physical displacement: it is a quest, an investiga-
to discover the marvelous upside–down world of Australia or tion that we make through the landscapes of the Earth.
New Zealand, those who choose the allure of the Orient, the Every step forward is also a step within ourselves, an op-
peace of India or the wild heart of Africa: these are the earth’s portunity to confront our fears, hopes and desires. And in this
thousand lights that light up for us. And this is because desire sense, the journey becomes a moment of personal growth,
is a powerful force that can drive people to extraordinary ac- an experience that shapes our identity and perception of
tions and the pursuit of impassioned dreams. And all over the the world. Which makes us feel better, because as a famous
world, in fact, are places that are closely linked to this state of saying goes, “tourists don’t know where they’ve been, trave-
mind that evoke intense emotions and have been a source of lers don’t know where they’re going.” Only to realize, at some
inspiration for artists, poets and romantics of every age. point, that they have found their destination.

130 Travel Protagonist