Travelling Is Stressful (but Rewarding!)

Travelling is an excellent example of illustrating trade-offs. How we manage trade-offs determines how we view, value or even want to travel at all.

The only way to go from Almalfi to Atrani by foot is through a road tunnel

The traffic condition through the tunnel – all pedestrian go this way (no choice!)

Atrani, although a separate town (the smallest town in Italy), is practically speaking a neighbourhood of Amalfi. It is a short walk around a promontory, through a tunnel, and we are there! But the walk was both beautiful and stressful. It was beautiful because we could see the land and seascapes at the same time. But it was stressful, too, as the walk involved sharing the narrow main coastal road with motorcycles, cars, buses, and other pedestrians. We courted danger. It was a heady mixture of excitement and fear—a perfect example of a trade-off. We valued excitement and accepted fear in the bargain.

Once out of the tunnel, Atrani is all yours to enjoy!

Plenty of steps to climb and descend along the Amalfi Coast – Atrani is no different. Padre Pio’s shrine is in a nook on the left up the flight of steps

Walking in Atrani, like elsewhere along the Amalfi coast, involves climbing many steps. While walking along a flight of steps, we found a comfortable nook to rest, a niche dedicated to Saint Pio. Padre Pio (1887–1968) is the patron saint of stress relief (among other human maladies like January blues), and September 23 is his feast day. The calmness of the saintly facial expression and the quiet corner in Atrani was heavenly. We sat in the nook, and the stress of earthly life temporarily melted away. The momentary stress relief was memorable, as was the scenery in Atrani and Amalfi.

The patron saint of stress relief – Padre Pio

How we travel involves trade-offs. We could have opted for package tours that arrange everything and remove the stress of travelling. However, guided tours also remove our independence on what we want to do and how we want to travel. We value the freedom of independent travel and accept the inconveniences that form part of the deal.

Investing effort and time is also a trade-off. We worked hard, trading off a more leisurely life during our younger days for the more challenging option of diligence. We have now retired, and the trade-off made years ago has made it worthwhile. We are grateful for our health and the privilege to savour the joys of travelling.