Why do people travel? What is the importance of traveling? What do you get out of traveling? I get a lot of these questions from people who do not really get out there and travel like we do. There is no one answer for these questions either.
Every traveler will have their own unique answer to these questions. It is shaped by their own personal experiences and their interests. I believe that one travels to fulfills their own curiosity and their desire to learn more about the world around them.
This is a very interesting question to ask people who love to travel. Everyone has different goals when they travel. Some want to relax on the nicest beaches, while others want a trip filled with excitement and adventure. Some want to catch the perfect moment on their camera, while others want to pack as light as possible and live in the moment. Others want to experience something different when they leave to a new country, whether it is the food, culture, or people.
My Story of Travel
For me, travel was not apart of my life until after university. I was not raised by a family that loved to travel. grew up in Canada and every summer for our family vacation we would travel up north to a cottage for a week. Other family trips included trips to Michigan and Florida. These were the only places I had been until my time in university.
Even in university I did not feel comfortable enough, with the student debt I already had, to travel. I went to university and worked a part-time job. In the summers I worked long weeks to help pay off my loans. One winter I went with a few friends to Quebec for a snowboarding trip. Another summer I went to Cuba for a week to relax on a resort.
What my story shows is that it was not my first trip that made me catch the travel bug as it does for so many. I would say that I had a love of travel before I ever traveled. What started me on this path was my love for history.
When I was in elementary school, I would read books about the history other countries. Any book I could get my hands on. This was when the idea of traveling got stuck in my head. It wasn’t until after university that I finally had the money saved up, the education, and an opportunity to work abroad and travel at the same time. I hopped at the chance and found myself teaching in South Korea.
I was able to put my financial troubles behind me and that was no longer a barrier to enter this world of travel. I could teach and see a whole new part of the world that I had yet to see before. I could also use the vacation time wisely to see surrounding countries that would cost me a fortune in flight tickets should I be traveling from Canada.
This was the perfect opportunity for me to explore more of the world of travel.
Why Do People Travel the World
For me it was about fulfilling my desire to learn more about history. It still is to this day and this reflects in my style of travel. I love to visit historical destinations and attractions to see it for myself. Before I leave on a trip, I try to read into that country’s history to understand more. It is a big part of why I travel.
Though this is not the same for everyone. Not everyone enjoys cracking open a history textbook like I do. Not everyone enjoys going somewhere to learn more about the history of the people.
I feel there are a few things that keep people wanting to travel more. They are not mutually exclusive, so some people may fall in to several categories of these.
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History
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Culture
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Adventure
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Relaxation
Like me, I am sure there are other history nerds out there that just love to research the history of a destination before going so that you know more about the people and what they have been through. It effects so much about the way they are, the food they eat, and the culture that has been established there.
Even just getting the summary of a country’s history can really provide that background information that can allow you to dive in deeper when you arrive at a destination. I really enjoy doing this and make this a priority when I travel somewhere.
Not only is it interesting, but it really makes the trip more interesting when you see something that you have read about and know a little bit about beforehand. You can then see it and touch it in real life and get a better sense of the world that was created here.
This is a big one for the both of us as well. Culture envelops everything about the people including our favorite: food. Food is so important to us when traveling and we end up spending a good portion of our day-to-day budget on the food that we want to try.
Food can tell you a lot about a country including the food that is readily available to them, the food that was created during difficult times, and so much more.
Not only this, but most of the times it is delicious!
Culture includes the daily lives, local shops, arts, and so much more about a country. It is really important to us to get a feel for the culture of a people when visiting their country. A lot of our trips include just wandering a city and enjoying the atmosphere. And food.
This is a big one to some people. The sense of adventure that comes with travel can really set you free. Whether the adventure is simply visiting a place you have never been before or doing a challenging hike, adventure is everywhere in travel.
To me, stepping out of your comfort zone is a really important step in life. It really sets you apart from others and makes some magical things happen. There is a good reason why doing something uncomfortable makes you a better person.
In this sense, travel really makes you a better person. It challenges you to be better.
We love the adventure aspect of traveling. More so the adventure of trying something new. We love hikes, but are not major thrill seekers trying to do some climbing or skydiving while we are somewhere. However, we are never going to turn down something like that on our travels.
A break from the normal routine is a big reason why others travel. Life at home can be extremely stressful. It can really make you feel suffocated if you let it get to you. Traveling can be that release. It can set you free and allow you to take that much needed breath of fresh air.
Getting out and breaking your normal routine or getting away from it all can allow you to decompress. Travel is the best way to do that. Enjoy in your company, relax on a beach, or adventure into the culture of a people allows you to take a step back and understand what is most important in life.
We really do enjoy this part of travel, though our travels are far from relaxing. We travel fast which means we need to make the most of our time in a particular city. That means early mornings and late nights and lots of travel in between destinations. Our relaxation comes when we get onto the airplane to come back home.
Having said that, we feel at ease when we travel. We love the way we travel and enjoy every aspect of travel. In that sense, travel is extremely relaxing to us.
Conclusion
Travel fulfills my curiosity of the world around me, my desire to learn more about the places I visit, and the history. I travel because I know there is more to life than just what is in front of me at any given time. There is an entire world that I will not ever be able to explore in its entirety. Understanding that I wont ever be able to see everything the world has to offer in my lifetime makes me want to continue traveling forever.
Why do you travel? Leave us a comment below to let us know why you travel the world.
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Happy travels!
To the Nations Worldwide
Travel . Capture . Share
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