Importance of Travel

Belize

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I am going is what inspires me to travel it.” -Rosalia de Castro

I have also been able to travel with friends and family throughout my whole life. I have lived in three different states and two different countries. I was able to spend a semester in Scotland traveling all over Europe and I also studied in Belize/Guatemala. Although going to Europe is great, I have also been on some great trips that are only a couple hours from my home. Not only is travel a form of escape and relaxation, which I feel like everyone needs in their life, it’s also a way to branch out and test yourself and your boundaries.


Dukes Palace that I lived in while in Scotland

Once you’ve decided you want to travel, you have to choose what type of traveler you want to be. There is educational travel, spiritual travel, work travel, vacation travel, and/or random travel. There is also a difference between being a traveler and being a tourist.

Traveler: Typically are in a place for an extended period of time taking long vacations or sabbaticals. They don’t have their camera on their hip the whole trip. They visit the “unknown” places. Tourist: Are in it for the short run. They enjoy seeing all the “hot spots” and/or lying by the beach all day.

Although reading about places is interesting, by experiencing the place you can learn more about the place and yourself. Since moving to California, I have realized that there are many different types of people in this world. There are people who like “things” and people who like “experiences”. A good question to ask yourself is, “What do you want to define who you are?”

Major things you take away from traveling:
- Knowledge about different cultures, foods and climates
- Obtain a better understanding about who you are
- Gain a better understanding about what you want out of life
- Increase appreciation for your own country (Ranch Dressing for me)
- Attain a feeling that everything is new and that the possibilities are endless
- Develop big picture thinking
- Boost your independence
- Gain patience and cultural understanding

So for those of you who enjoy having that large screen TV (invite me over) over taking a trip, remember all the awesome things you can get out of traveling. If you are the “things” person and that’s how you like it, that’s all good too. Remember that everything you do everyday defines and shapes who you are and want to be.