Why Do We Travel?

I grew to have a love-hate relationship with travel. The annoyances of airports, delays, lost luggage, and security lines are all forgotten with the thrill of a new experience. Travel has shown me that anything is possible, and it has broadened my perspective on life as well as given me the gift of learning more about myself.

I’ve lived in a world of constant change. Growing up, life was very stable with very little change. We always had a summer vacation but we almost always traveled to the same place, we would go to visit my grandmother who lived in another city. However, as soon as I finished high school, I looked for that change and travel that I craved, and I moved away to attend university. Throughout the years, I’ve moved around, living and working internationally in three different countries, living in over 20 different homes all the while making new friends along the way. Travel and change has been a welcome constant for me.

“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel- leaves marks on you.” –Anthony Bourdain

While living abroad, I was exposed to many ways of life, both in and outside the office as well as within the diverse regions I covered for work. This made it possible to get to know many people from every region of the world. While in Dubai, I was exposed to people from the Middle East, South Africa, India, Singapore, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The most difficult part of the job was learning and remembering names!

I love to see new cultures and see the people within different communities. One of my favorite places to go in a new city, country, or region is the local market. I love to watch people, to see what is being sold, watch for what people are buying, and observe how people interact. Is the market dominated by men or women? How are people dressed? What is the street food? How do they negotiate?

What I’ve Learned Along the Way:

Travel broadens your perspective of the world. It allows you to see first-hand what other countries and cultures endure. It shows how they thrive in different situations than we are accustom to. It also shows the beauty of difference, itself.

We travel to discover and learn more about ourselves. How we react and choose to change based on what we observe and experience, allows us to grow and evolve.
Travelling pushes you out of your comfort zone. It forces you to try new things, be it food, music, or even basic amenities.
It gives you confidence. Moving around and communicating in an unfamiliar place really pushes your boundaries. The more you do it, the easier it can become.

It can help you find new purpose and inspiration. Travelling isn’t just about seeing new cultures and lands, though. It is about truly experiencing them. The appreciation that grows inside of you can also spark inspiration and give you a new purpose in life.
Travel opens your mind. You can’t be close-minded and expect to get along with people when you are hoping for a warm welcome somewhere new. Everyone is different and those differences are more noticeable the further you travel from home.

It helps you become more tolerant of different cultures and people. Appreciation of how people live, work, love, and communicate will help your tolerance. It can be frustrating trying to be a part of such a different community, and it can be frustrating for that community to have you as part of it, too.
When you return home from travel, you arrive with a different perspective of your life. Nothing can make you more aware of your own life than leaving the normalcy of it.
I’ve had many epiphany moments when I traveled. Maybe it’s because I’ve slowed down and have had more time to reflect. Or, maybe because I’m more open.

“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures” – Lovelle Brachmann

We travel not only for new experiences but to experience change. To get out of the mundane routine and experience the unfamiliar. When you travel, no day is the same. Travel heightens my intuition, especially when I don’t speak the language. I can often pick up the jest of the conversation by the tone, the speed, the expression, and the situation.

Once, when I was being dropped off at the airport in Istanbul by a friend and her new husband, they started to talk in Turkish. I interrupted and said, “no, don’t park, just drop me off at the curb.” Her husband turned to me and asked, “do you speak Turkish?” because he was surprised that I knew what they were talking about.

“To travel is to take a journey into yourself”. – Danny Kaye

Over the years, I’ve traveled with friends and I’ve traveled alone. They both teach you something about yourself. When I travel alone, I have the flexibility to do what I want to do and I’m more open to meeting new people. I also find myself planning less and simply going with the flow. I’m more in touch with my intuition as I only have to worry about myself.

When I travel with friends, I must be more open and flexible as to what everyone wants to do. You have a more fixed schedule for your plans, and you don’t meet as many new people along the way as you already have others to socialize with. However, the comfort of familiarity can make for a more relaxed experience.

When traveling alone you are more aware and only have yourself to rely on, which makes you more independent. I also find I will take more risks. When I’m alone, I’m more reflective as to where I’m at and where I want to go. It allows for more personal growth and development. However, when you travel with friends, it allows you to share your experience and grow together.

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences”. – Eleanor Roosevelt