Why I Travel & 5 Reasons Why I Think You Should Too
My “Why”
My itch to travel is a relatively new thing. Growing up, my family didn’t do much traveling beyond going to Florida, Door County, Wisconsin, and wherever my competition dance nationals dragged us that year. I actually hadn’t left the country until I was an adult. Because I simply didn’t have much experience with it, I didn’t see travel as very important [HA!] Until I was 17, that is. Now, I see it as essential.
My desire to travel developed at a time when I didn’t have a desire to do much else. When I was 17, I was in a deep depression. I mean, really, just, the pits. I felt hopeless because I didn’t understand the meaning of life. I didn’t know why we humans were here or how we got here or what we build a life for. “What’s the point?” bounced around in my head day in and day out.
I needed to see beyond the traditional path I expected for my future. I saw my peers look forward to going to college, getting a job, getting married, and having kids, but I just couldn’t get excited about building all of that. (sidenote: I do want those things.)
In an attempt to discover some type of meaning in life, I pulled out a big piece of paper and started a bucket list. I thought that maybe if I could come up with a list of things I wanted to achieve and experience in my lifetime, I would find a desire to live. I pondered the idea that possibly my problem wasn’t that I didn’t want life, but that I wanted more than the life I had in front of me. I began to believe that maybe there was more out there in the world that gave life purpose beyond the suburban day-to-day I felt trapped in.
One day I was scrolling on Pinterest and saw a picture of Italy. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It didn’t look like a place that could exist on the same Earth I lived on, but rather only in a dream. It looked so magical. I dove into the world wide web of incredible destinations all around the globe. The idea of going to these places made me feel free from the “stuckness.” My new sense of purpose came from experiencing all the different intricate worlds that exist within our collective world. I learned there was so much more than the small town I grew up in, and I intended to see it all.
It was also about this time that my sister really started traveling. The beauty, adventure, and fun in her life really inspired me to do that myself. Suddenly, there were infinite possibilities for the future I could have. When I entered college, I knew I wanted to study abroad. Writing about this is actually what landed me a fellowship in Italy.
Okay, let’s move on and get to the fun stuff: What you get out of it.
5 Reasons why I think you should travel
1. The places you see
I am constantly in absolute awe of the art in nature, architecture, and culture all around the world. I could sit and watch the waves crash on a beach, wander European streets, and listen to people speak foreign languages at the table next to me for hours. Seeing the complexity, beauty, and diversity in nature really makes me appreciate life. Some places are just so incredible and unbelievable because of how different they feel from the life I know. IT’S SO FREAKIN’ BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE. ENJOY IT!!!
2. The people you meet
I have met some of the coolest, kindest, most fun people while traveling. I have had captivating conversations and experienced deep connections with people who live halfway across the planet and who vary in age. Hanging out in hostels is one hell of a way to do this. I have friends all over the world who have changed my life and my outlook. I am so happy to have met all these incredible people from all walks of life. I remember one night in Santorini a group of us from the hostel went out to dinner. I was sitting at a table of nine people and every single one of us had a different accent. I thought wow, in what world would all of us be together if it weren’t for the love of travel and desire to get the most out of life? Those experiences are what make it so enriching.
3. The ways you grow
When I first had this idea of becoming a traveler, I knew it was going to be a bit intimidating. But, there were key areas I wanted to grow in that would come only from pushing myself to do the things that scared me. I wanted to grow in maturity, exploration, and my attitude toward adventure. I tended to be timid when it came to taking risks or breaking the rules [again, HA!] I wanted to learn to leap before the net appears and embrace the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that came my way. Oftentimes, like, literally every day while solo traveling, I had to dive right into the unknown and put myself in a lot of uncomfortable positions with confidence. I’m really grateful for it. Now I feel so ready to take on things that I would have trembled at before.
4. The food you eat
I’m a total foodie. Especially when traveling. I want to try alllll (most) of the traditional dishes. Eating incredible, unique food in the places they originated from is a big part of the experience. Mealtime is a special aspect of many cultures. Learning this can bring so much more meaning to something you do every day, multiple times a day (eating). Some people will advise you to save money by packing snacks and buying groceries to prepare at your accommodations… I say if you aren’t eating at least one pizza per day while you’re in Italy then you’re doing it wrong.
5. The life you lead
Travel makes me happy. It has given me growth and mindset shifts that provide me more enjoyment in day-to-day life. I feel a greater sense of purpose by seeing all that’s out there. It’s like a playground. How could you spend your whole life in the sandbox when you KNOW there are swings, monkey bars, a splash zone, and twisty slides? Yeah, you might fall and get hurt more than you would in a sandbox, or you may need to brave them alone, but it’ll be super worth it. All you have to do is build up the bravery to leave the sandbox.
My hope for you is that you see what’s out there. I know that booking a flight and jumping to another country isn’t super doable for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be completely out of reach. Explore a new city in your state. Watch a documentary about life in another country. Think about where your dream destination is and start saving. Get out there, the rest of the playground is waiting for you, babe!
P.S. Check out my latest uploads to the Travel Archive!
