If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a traveler. You love packing your bags and heading out the door to… somewhere. Period. It’s probably something you’ve done all your life. But WHY?
As a seasoned traveler, I’ve only recently asked myself this question. I always just took it as a given; Travel is what I do. Along the road of self introspection I also talked with friends to hear what they had to say.
Adventure tops the list for travel as well. Adventure can be biking, trekking or any number of other outdoor adventure-ing, or exploring somewhere the exotic and undiscovered (at least by you.) It doesn’t have to mean expedition to the Sahara. It just has to mean adventure for you. For me, adventure is that feeling I get when I arrive at a new destination with no set plans. Oooh, I’m getting goosebumps as I type.:)
And really, what would travel be without cultural exchange? Being in a country where you don’t speak the language and are unfamiliar with everyday activities forces you to reach out and connect with the locals. Asking directions. Asking what certain food is (and how to eat it). Asking to join in a certain game. Asking why. Travel opens our eyes not only to new places but new practices. These moments of cultural exchange are often the unforgettable and the unique experience that get folks hooked on travel.
Travel is something that I’ve made a top priority in my life for the last twelve years. For me, it’s the mixture of all the reasons above, but what it boils down to is connection. Connection to other travelers, to the locals I meet and to the natural place I am visiting. Travel is made up of fleeting moments, but my relationships and experiences stick with me forever, if only in memory. Corny as it sounds, these connections remind me that we are all on this planet together, trying to figure it out, one day at a time. And guess what? We’re in it together. These intangible moments are better than any tourist refrigerator magnet I could ever buy.
What about you? What do YOU love to travel?
Macaroon photo courtesy of Tracy Barbutes.