Why travel?

Travelling long distances encompasses my life. The experience of travelling continues to have a wide rage of effects on my life and who I am. It is a constant question to me as to why I am eternally drawn to it. However, the more I think about it, the more I find one common recurrence: the destination brings me to the people I love.

Even though my pockets are shallow and I have homework or other responsibilities, I continuously travel back home or to one of my friend's houses. As well, I am willing to bet that I am not the only one who does this. I am not the only person who has such a desire to see the ones they love.

At first, university seems like a gift, a chance to get away from your past, to get away from who you used to be. However, the farther you grow from who you used to be you start to realize that you miss what your old life consisted of. Eventually, no matter how well you are fitting into your new life, you start to miss something: your family.

Here is the part that people may disagree with: I do not find that family lies in your bloodline. Family are the people that love you, even the friends who are willing to give anything to support you in your time of need. Even if one were to have a set of parents that are not there for you. You have those friends, those people you love that are willing to support you; these are the people we cherish, these are the people that make us who we are. They are our family.

Consider it, that $30 you spent, that two-hour bus ride or luckily for some, that short car ride to go somewhere all for what – a weekend of partying? You know in the depths of your being that there is something more to it; that it's not the activity, but the company that you are there for.

I realize there is a flaw to this idea. I understand that some people travel to get to places where they have no friends or family. I would reply with: what is it all for (outside of professional reasons)? The typical answer will be something along the lines of: it is for the desire to not only see the World, but to experience life. From there, what is the reason for experiencing life? Is it not to create a collection of knowledge and unique events to hopefully create a better understanding of who you are? That means you are travelling for the most important person in your life. You are travelling to find a new you, one you can love. That is, if you didn't already.

I believe that the reason we travel is deeper than most of us expect. We travel for the ones we love and sometimes that includes ourselves. I have come to this after many journeys I have taken. Some of you may beg to differ, but maybe after a few more trips, a few more days on the road, you will realize what I have. After all, I write in the hopes that a few of you will understand what I say and find comfort in knowing that others feel the same as you. However, when everything is said and done, this is just one man's opinion.