Why do you travel? In my job I travel a lot, and over the years I’ve been asked that question a lot. Recently on a flight from somewhere to somewhere else, a lady sitting next to me struck up a polite conversation as travelers often do. I guess I didn’t get my ear buds in quickly enough because normally I’m the quiet, let’s get some work done or let’s just relax for a bit on this flight kind of guy. So as we chatted the question came up as it often does, “are you traveling for business or pleasure”? And then, the one that surprised me, “do your enjoy traveling”? The question didn’t surprise me as much as my hesitation to answer did. I really had to think about it for a moment.
Remember I said we were heading from somewhere to somewhere else? It was one of those trips that just seemed to run on from the last couple of trips. That “I’ve been on the road and away from home far more lately than I like to be feeling”. So I paused to think about her question, “do I like to travel” So before I could stop myself, the answer came rolling out, “sometimes” I said. That’s it, isn’t it? We travel for many different reasons, business, pleasure, to visit family and friends, seeking adventure, relaxation and sometimes just to escape.
And the more I thought about it, for me, sometimes wasn’t a good answer. I mean, I’m the travel guy! I own a travel agency and have been involved in planning vacations for others for nearly twenty years. How could I like to travel just sometimes. I remembered the commercial on TV, “Some say travel isn’t what it used to be…I say travel is what you make it”. And then I made my decision. When the inevitable question comes up, “do you like to travel” my answer will always be an unequivocal, “absolutely!” , “from anywhere to anywhere else, I love to travel!
So then with my new found mantra and an unshakable resolve, why is it that we love to travel? In another recent conversation with a friend, she told me she was seeking a more minimalistic life and was going to travel less. She believes many people travel to escape something because they are not happy where they are and are running away trying to find something else. And while this may be true for some and I do realize escapism is a valid reason for travel, It’s not my main reason. Who hasn’t gotten caught up in the mundane day to day of life or become stressed out at work and need a much deserved overdue getaway? But there is a difference in needing a visit to the land of palm trees and margaritas and just wanting to run away from your life. We all need to escape from time to time.
Among my favorite reasons for travel are discovery, inspiration, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures and of course I have to mention food! To discover a culture and learn about it’s people can only be completely done by experiencing the local food delicacies and the way they are prepared.
In a recent post here, I wrote, That’s What Travel is Supposed To Do, and that’s why I travel. Travel should change us, it should give us a deeper appreciation for living, expose us to the awe of God’s creation and give an appreciation for how big the world is. I love this quote by Marcel Proust, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
That’s it’s for me then, that’s why I travel, to discover new landscapes and gain new eyes to look upon them with.
Rick is President of Kingdom Magic Vacations, and as you might guess, he loves to travel! His wife Leslie have two great kids, teens actually, and they love to travel together as a family. They love cruising also, and most of all they love Walt Disney World!
You can find Rick at www.TravelwithRick.com where he loves to share with you the place (Walt Disney World) and the places (anywhere else around the world) that we love to visit. I’ll do that with articles, video and pictures.
