What is Templeseeking?
Templeseeking seems to have been one of those eccentric aspects to my personality that you can never quite explain, you just have to accept. From Theravada Buddhist temples of Thailand to Orthodox Churches, I am obsessed with it all! Being a templeseeker is all about travelling with a lust for temples and places of worship.
Why I am a Templeseeker
My mom is a big influence in my life. She studied Religious Studies at University and I followed in her footsteps, completing a degree in Religions and Theology at Manchester University.
My love for travel grew and grew. When I was 18 years old, I travelled on a BSES expedition to Morocco, where we trekked in the Atlas Mountains.
Amazing as it was, I realised that I wasn’t really a ‘middle of no-where’ kinda girl. I enjoyed the views, but the trekking was hard work and the lack of internet for six weeks didn’t suit me greatly, even though I had no social media accounts at the time. Basically, there aren’t to many temples and ancient sites in the middle of the Sahara desert!
When I travelled from Moscow to Beijing on the trans-siberian railway, I really found my niche. Russia and China bought out the best in me, with the chance to see amazing sites including St. Basil’s Cathedral, The Forbidden city and the Temple of Heaven.
As I mentioned, my mom has always believed that anything is possible for me. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have travelled to the most amazing parts of the world, done my MA in South Asian Studies or set up my own business. When I said that I wanted to do my MA, her reply was “Well, if you don’t do it before you’re 30, you might never do it!”
What is it that I really love about Templeseeking?
I don’t templeseek for personal religious or spiritual reasons. I was bought up as a Church of England Christian, but am not practising. For me, the joy of temple seeking comes from the amazing architecture and fantastic people that I meet along the way. I also love to learn about other religions and cultures. Templeseeking brings out my real lust for life!
Do you Templeseek?
Do you love templeseeking too? What’s the most amazing temple or historical site that you have ever visited?
You might also like to read about why I think Jerusalem is the Best City in the World for Templeseeking.
Also check out my opinion post on turning 40 (it’s the new 20!)