Liminal Travel
What could be more liminal than travel? One of the very definitions of liminal is the spaces in between, or boundaries, and if we take these in the literal, geographical sense, then almost all travel is liminal. However, one problem today is that places are becoming more homogenized and similar, erasing the idea of boundaries.
For example, if we see the same fast food restaurants, convenience and chain stores in every city we visit, the liminality of travel is reduced or eliminated.
But liminality is not really meant to be a term referring to the physical world. It’s more of a psychological state. So if we want to experience the liminal, when traveling or at other times, we have to be aware of our own inner state at least as much as the outer world. As much of the outer world seems determined to do away with whatever is “in between,” it seems we are compelled to create or discover it for ourselves.
For more about liminality and travel, see
