Kintsugi

When you travel you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. - Rolf Potts

The practice of Kintsugi is a Japanese technique used to repair broken pottery through the process of mixing precious metals such as silver and gold with lacquer. The amalgamation of these components serves to not only restore the utilitarian function of the piece, but also to elevate it to a higher aesthetic. What used to be cracks of that once broken object are now scars of beauty for the world to see. It provides character and meaning to the history behind that object. On a philosophical level, people can also be like those broken pieces of pottery. Travel can serve as a catalyst for such a change. It is not uncommon to find backpackers searching within themselves for a cure of their maladies and internal struggles. This search inward has almost become a stereotypical trope associated with backpacking culture. Of course, not everyone that travels falls within this situation. Only the individual knows if he or she is on this path. Some of the great novelists write that travel for them can sometimes serve as a rebirth for the soul. Whether or not they were seeking to heal something deep within, they no doubt return home a different person. Tragic, though, is when the individual fails to notice the changes within themselves or the perception that any personal growth obtained on the trip was only temporary. That once they return home, a regression back to how things were will inevitably occur. The return back to the void in which they were seeking to escape; a reopening of figurative wounds. What is important to note is that regressing back to this state of mind, this mental construct, is not an immutable law of nature. It can be fought against; rebelled against. The same energy and courage utilized in taking that journey of self-healing can also be harnessed towards future forward progression. A profound change has already occurred. Evolution has taken place. The metaphorical gold and lacquer lining the scars of the soul have set, transmuting with it beauty and strength.