BootsnAll Travel Community

I travel because

1) I like to see different cultures
2) I like to see new places
3) I like to meet people
4) I like to taste variety of foods

I love the feeling of arriving in a country with no guidebook and a few dollars in my pocket, and seeing where the road takes me from there. I guess its the excitement of not knowing what is around the corner, and of living spontaneously.

I work in a career where at a minimum the next 12 months of my working life is completely planned out so its great to take a month out for myself each year (and a year every few years) to live this way.

quote:

It's about adventure in a lot of ways- I think humans have an innate need to explore, to discover, to be challenged. (........)
It's also about learning. I love languages and I love people and I love history, not to mention art and politics and anthropology and all those dozens or hundreds of other areas which you can never, ever fully understand without the context of the geography.

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I'm more than twice the age of the poster. But I agree to 100%.
I could add, it started with collecting post stamps (nobody does it any more). That's how it got into geography, maps and eventually travel.

And also, as Haci Richard said - the kids.
I've travelled with mine for more than 10 years. We visited together about 25 countries, and had the best time of our lives. Now they are grown up, have their own lives, are busy with their career and boyfriends, and have no time for travelling. Shame.

What you all said.

Seriously --

when I don't travel, I get stuck inside my little box. Wake up early -- run 8 miles -- work -- take no lunch break -- leave work -- go to gym -- meet friend for dinner -- clean trashed house -- pass out...

some sort of cycle like that. And so quickly you end up forgetting there is a world outside of your work deadlines and your running races and the cat fur covering your apt....

I travel to remember that I am not the center of the world, even if I'm the center of MY world.

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I think we're all running away from something. Maybe it has something to do with our mothers...

This used to actually concern me quite a bit. The idea not only of traveling to other places, but wanting to live in different places and make these other places "my own" so to speak.
I think at this point I've come to terms with my desire to "escape" and know that there are obviously a slew of other reasons I go places, including all those mentioned above.

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but for some reason I tend to feel kind of possessive of the places I visit and fall in love with. But I think that has a lot to do with talking to people who have never ventured out of their own state and still seem to be able to make claims about other countries.


The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. ---St. Augustine

I also think that this quote says it well (thanks Skyehiker!). I'm sure lots of you would agree with me here (or you wouldn't be on a traveling forum...) that when you feel that pull to explore your surroundings it's hard to imagine how some people don't.

I don't really know why...

Looking for something

I feel more like myself when I travel, free and alive

Looking for a place to belong or feel a connection

Just because the world is there to see

Trekker

Although I know that Texas is the center of the universe, I'd like to see the rest of the planet. There are interesting people everywhere and I love to meet them and find out about their "world".
Moniak, don't give up hope. My kids are grown too and next year my daughter and I are going to Egypt!

Travel builds smartness.

I think the main reason I travel is because I simply want to leave home and see what lies beyond my familiar stomping ground. I´ve more or less always been interested in geography and culture, so travel kind of is a natural hobby for me.

I have not travelled much. I grew up in the Philippines then moved to the US when I was in my mid-teens. The only time I left the mainland was to go to Hawaii, Canada, and alas, our honeymoon in Australia.

My husband and I, after much arm twisting from me, have decided finally to take some time off to travel this year. We both really want to do this before we have children. Being from a different country, I've had a taste of being immersed in a different world other than my own. It's a thrill and it left me wanting more. My husband also had the desire to travel so he got his passport after high school with intentions of using it soon after. But he did not use until almost 10 years later, for our honeymoon.

So why do I wanna travel? For selfish reasons for sure. I want to see the world beyond what I see on cyberspace or books and magazines. I want to smell it, taste the food and talk to the people. I want to see the sights and nature before global warming or war take them away. I want to step out of my comfort zone and expose myself to different cultures and GROW and LEARN. I want to go in an adventure with the man I love, and what better way to do it than travel the world?

It's funny coz we're both accountants and we are pretty much settled in our home in suburbia and I know some people are wondering why we want to risk losing our jobs, especially in this fragile economy. But I know people will always need accountants and we'll find jobs eventually when we get back. And I'd rather do what I want to do with my life than not do it at all, and for what? for thee sake of keeping my accounting job and having a nice savings account? No thanks. Time, youth and money are meant to be spent and travelling is the best way we know how to do just that =)

Safe travels to you!