We are all Wonderlust Kings

We really like this song and found this particular verse to be very interesting to reflect on:

“I traveled the world
Looking for understanding
Of the times that we live in
Hunting and gathering first-hand information
Challenging definitions of sin”

PS: pass your mouse over the points◊ of our manifesto that are quoted to have them appear.

"I traveled the World"

E. Hütz has a real history of traveler. He’s descending from a Gypsy tribe called the Servo Roma and has endured a seven-year trek through Europe before being able to resettle in Vermont, USA as a political refugee. Of course, I can’t say that I have the same history but I still feel close to him in my will of travelling the world. The fact that I’m half Ukrainian also helps I guess. But whatever your reasons, you should travel the World! For us it's a way of live as said in point fourteen◊.

"Looking for understanding in the times we live in"

Why do we travel? The first part of our Manifesto has all the answers. But I think the first point sums up everything: “We approach travel as a greater journey to discover more about ourselves and others. Every opportunity to travel sheds light on our world.” And that’s what Gogol Bordello is telling us as well. Get out there, as you can’t really understand life if you don’t see how other people live theirs. Travel in your country and you will start to see differences from one region to another. Proceed to go further and further, from one country to an other and then to different continents. The more you travel the more you will understand the world that you live in. Observing local people abroad and where they live will teach you a lot and you may even discover more about yourself in the process.

"Hunting and gathering first-hand information"

There’s nothing more important for us than meeting the local people when we travel, points seven◊, eight◊, nine◊ and ten◊ of the Manifesto. Don’t forget to keep an open mind when you travel and look for information locally. Go to the places where locals go and get closer to their reality will change the outlook of your trip. Guidebooks are good for sightseeing and general information but they cannot be considered first-hand information. And remember that it’s good to prepare for a trip but don’t over-plan (point six◊).

"Challenging definition of sin"

Sin : Sin, in religion, is the concept of acts that violate a known moral rule. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation (Wikipedia)

We call ourselves hedonists in the intro of the Manifesto; we think travel is also the occasion of pursuing pleasure and happiness. We don’t have any specific point about it in our manifesto, but we firmly believe that everything has to be tried and every experience (see point two◊) can be interesting. We don’t believe in the idea of good and evil. We believe in consequences of our actions and in having as much pleasure as possible, without harming ourselves or anyone of course. Travelling offers a chance of challenging what you learned as a kid in your country and find your own definition of sin depending on where you are and what you want to achieve. This is how we learn about the world, about ourselves, beyond society’s morality that we don’t follow blindly.

Alex