Why do you Travel?

Very recently, I decided to make a blog to document people’s perspective regarding Travelling. With so much going wrong around us, I personally came up with this to show that we can think beyond the negatives. To explore the world that in equal portions scare and amazes us. 

Here is a rundown from my friends. I want to thank every single individual that took the time to write me back. If you can take just 10-15 minutes to really read it all – I assure you – you feel a good feeling. And I believe, that alone is a big achievement. 

Without further ado, here are responses to the question, “Why do you travel?”

1. Alan Ly:

 I do it so that I can see another culture's traditions and the way they live life (i.e. how Europeans have siesta's, and we do not. A gentlemen explained to me that he lives to work, and I work to live...made me question my life decisions temporarily. He owned a gelato shop loll). Other reasons is to reach landmarks and do epic things like dive, or hike up mountains...do things other people don’t. The next piece is to try new food. Last is that I can get away do we I want and not have to give a FFFFF.

2. Shifei Li:

I do it to learn more about myself. Doing things myself & seeing others do things helps me figure out what I’m good at/enjoy doing and what I’m afraid of/faults. Also to meet others who may live different lives & see what they're doing with their time.

3. Shagufe Hossain:

Travelling is the quickest and most certain way to expand your consciousness. It helps you grow and become more of who you are. You absorb cities, cultures, and people and learn so much about the world and more importantly so much about yourself. You also end up giving away little pieces of yourself to the places you visit so you morph into this new being. You become more of who you are through travelling.

4. Nick Corradino:

I travel to escape from the daily stress and routine from everyday life. I travel to return my mind to a state of learning, curiosity, and reflection. I travel because life is too short, and I want to see as much of it as possible. I travel for the lessons, experiences, and stories that make life worthwhile.

5. Amanda Seminerio:

You are a combination of the places you’ve been, the people you’ve encountered, and things you’ve experienced. I think the only way you grow as a person is to understand that there is a world beyond your borders, where people are living a life different from your own, where there are different social norms, and different ways of thinking. I travel to explore – to try new cuisines, to meet new people from all walks of life, to maintain an open mind. I travel to be free – to take a break from the routine, to push my limits, and satisfy my curiosity. I travel to learn – about our history, other cultures, but most importantly about myself. You start to appreciate your own life, while at the same time discovering the aspects you want to change, because once you’ve come back you start to see the world a little bit different than you did before. And eventually everything that once seemed so foreign to you, is what becomes familiar. 

Travelling is all about the thrill you feel when the customs officer asks where you’re going and even though you’ve run through the conversation a million times in your head, you blank out. It’s about running between gates because you’re going to miss your flight. It’s about using translation apps to try and figure out what you just ordered at a local restaurant. It’s about following along the directions on your GPS to make sure your cab driver doesn’t get you lost. It’s about the friends you’ve made who will always have room for you to stay when you go to visit. It’s about returning home and starting to plan your next adventure.

There’s so much of the world to see, so why should you only explore one part of it?

6. Nabeela Haque:

This was my 4th trip to Europe and I had arrived in Barcelona the night before. That night, I had gone out for a nice meal in La Rambla- the Main Street in central BCN but this picture was taken on my full proper visit within the city. After a quick, very Barcelona like breakfast of coffee and croissant, I started exploring the city with a backpack that had a BCN imprint. Barcelona - it was everything I had imagined it to be and more. This photo was taken in the Gothic Quarters and I think it captured my spirit for traveling well. I was in awe of the high stone walls, the squares that opened up as you turned corners and people playing music and enjoying a cup of coffee. I was in awe of seeing things that are hundreds and hundreds of years old and still standing strong and wondered about how people in those days built such magnificent structures. I walked slowly and kept staring at everything around me. For me, traveling is about taking it all in, manmade or natural and this pictures shows off that very feeling.

7. Angelet Lim:

Asking people why they travel is similar to asking them why they read books. Each city has its own unique story. A good traveler will read each city to understand and get immersed in their story. Some travelers will like or dislike a city based on their comprehension and how the city made them feel. Similar to a book, it can be liked or disliked. The most memorable part of a book are the intense scenes that made me feel fully immersed in the story. The scene that spoke to me the most. For example, in Harry potter, it is when Dobby died in the book that really spoke to me the most (not the time Harry defeated Voldemort). This is comparable to cities. For example, in Paris, my most memorable experience is not the Eiffel tower or even the Mona Lisa. It is going to Montmartre, eating fish in the French sidewalk and watching the French celebrate the first day of summer in the streets. Some people will rob cities of what they have to offer by going "for the sake of going or saying they've been there". This to me is like reading a summary in Wikipedia so they can finish their book report. You just robbed yourself with the storyline and getting immersed in a different world.  In the end, I travel for those moments that made me feel full of life - those moments in which I just can't stop reading.

8. Irad Mustafa:

What initially started out as a means to get away from the concrete prison that is Dhaka turned into my own way of discovering who I am. With nothing but a backpack filled with essentials, you venture out into new places without access to the familiar facilities we might usually take for granted. Traveling pushes you into a flurry of situations outside your comfort zone like forcing you to meet new people with completely different lifestyles and cultures, hiking up a mountain, crossing a river during a storm or simply ordering a meal at a rural restaurant; these are experiences which let you discover what truly makes you tick. Encountering people from various cultures helps you see how people see the world differently and seeing these different perspectives also gives you a healthy reality check.  Choosing to buy experiences over tangible objects has transformed me in many ways for which I am truly grateful and has taught me how to live beyond the lines of our urban comforts.

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I hope you have found this worthwhile, inspiring and just a warm feeling that we have much to explore, experience and do in life. You don’t necessarily have to travel to experience all these. The only thing you really need, in my opinion, is the honest approach to going for things you like. Just go for it. Let it unfold.