Why I Travel

I have a travel bug. Since I was 17 and went to Ireland on a family trip I have been addicted to travel. I am fascinated with discovering other ways and walks of life other than the one that I live. I think the only way I can truly find out who I am is by getting a taste of all the world has to offer so I can take the parts I like best and combine it into one: me.

I don’t think there is any way I could be satisfied without exploration and discovery. There are billions of people to meet, there are millions of foods to eat, and thousands of places to see in the world for me to discover and try.

From the five different countries I have been to I have learned. I have learned about challenge, life, and growth in ways I never would have if I solely lived my life confined in white, suburbia America.

When traveling I am challenged by the cultural barrier. I am forced to learn languages, eat foods, and do customs that are very different, and some may find strange. I enjoy these challenges because it forces me to acquire new skills as well as learn new ways of eating, living, and being.

I learn about life because when traveling I am submerged in a culture not familiar to me and am exposed to new ways of being. When I travel I am forced to walk in someone else’s shoes and appreciate their life instead of judging it.

Being challenged and learning about other peoples lives helps me grow. I grow because I expand my horizons beyond my own life that is put in perspective when I travel and learn that there are so many things to see, people to be and ways of life to experience and combine to thus better my life by having an eclectic appreciation for the world.