Why Travel?

People generally fall into one of two categories when it comes to traveling.  Either a) they enjoy traveling or b) they would rather stay at home and venture no farther than the borders of their own state.  I personally belong to the first group, those that like to travel.  Ever since I was little I would always look forward to the next trip my family and I would take.  When I was younger, we never left the United States, yet even without leaving the states, we never got to all the places that we wanted to see and experience.  I personally don't understand why people wouldn't want to travel outside of the fact that it costs money and takes time out of their busy lives.  My own feelings are that those who don't like to travel would rather remain where they feel comfortable, where they know the people around them, and they feel secure.  I feel that by never really traveling,  however, you can never gain a full appreciation for where and how you live.  By living in an insulated world, things are almost guaranteed never to change drastically, and when they do, I feel that people will be less prepared for them.  Why?  Because they haven't pushed their boundaries.  Traveling requires a certain openness or ability to view other's and their culture objectively without pushing pre-conceived notions upon them.  Even if you travel 500 miles, you will deal with people that have different views of life and live differently than you do.   If anyone travels with a mind closed to other possibilities and ways of life, then the trip will have simply provided them with some good pictures and family time.  But by interacting with the people, experiencing a little bit of their lives, we can gain life long experiences that can help us at home to be more accepting of those around us.

Even within the United States, there are almost limitless mini-cultures that can be experienced, different lifestyles to witness, and bountiful natural wonders along the way.   People may say that simply traveling to view natural wonders is enough for them, but how do you really get a feeling of the area you are visiting if you don't interact with the people.  Don't get me wrong, most people when traveling are simply tourists viewing the sights and interacting only with their tour guide or hotel staff, no one else.  Just take a look at the buses full of senior citizens or foreigners that pull up to a natural wonder, file out to take pictures, and then file back on to be shuttled to the next spot.  What do they really get besides nice pictures?  Not much.  Becoming a true traveler requires interaction with the locals, popping into that small roadside diner or sitting at the local bar in the evening to shoot the breeze.  You would be amazed at how much people are willing to open up if you meet them on their ground and are open to simply talking.  I remember when my wife and I went on our honeymoon to Ireland, we didn't stay in a hotel or move around every day, we rented an apartment for the week in a town of about 40 residents.  From that one town, we spent the day venturing out to explore the landscape, but every evening, we could be found at one of the three local pubs tossing back some Guinness with the locals.  By the end of the week and after seeing the same group of people every night, they actually threw us a going away party.  I wouldn't trade that experience for any other, especially one requiring a different hotel every night. 

There are times while traveling when we may not want to come home.  The area we are visiting can be so inviting, warm and welcoming that we want to stay there forever.  However, upon finally coming home, however much we much miss travels, we have a new appreciation for things, are at least we hopefully do.  To travel is to explore, to open our view of the world and allow new cultures and ways of life to permeate our own.  We never leave everything behind when we come home from traveling.  We always take a little something with us, something that becomes part of us and enhances our own life.  Regardless of how you travel, I feel that it is important to travel period.  Even if you are simply the consummate tourist who has no interaction with the locals, you still gain life experiences while on the road.  Everyone builds their own experiences according to what they are comfortable with.  We can not just simply forget those experiences, but rather build them into our life.  It is part of what makes us well rounded individuals, the ability to take little pieces from wherever we may be and take them home with us.  Maybe it is time to travel again.  Time to pack some bags and just go.  Find a place, make it cheap, and go there.  Interact with the locals, experience the culture, and immerse yourself in a different life for a while.  Who knows, life may seem a little better when you return.