Why Do We Travel?

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” ― Pico Iyer

I stumbled upon this quote online and when I read it, I felt as though it was perfectly describing my thoughts on traveling.

Living in the U.S., I traveled as often as I could. When I had some time off from school or accrued vacation days from work, you can almost always guarantee I’m heading somewhere! I enjoyed getting away from my hectic life back in Washington and essentially “losing myself” while I explored, relaxed, and faced minimal distractions in a new location. Before I knew it, I was coming to realize that traveling meant something more to me. I loved my life in Washington because of my family and close friends, but it wasn’t enough for me anymore. I started to feel uncomfortable in a city that’s been my home. I needed more.

As the story goes, I uprooted my life to France where I am currently located. It may sound cliché but I’ve learned so much about myself, my wants, my needs during this past year abroad. The search isn’t over, but I love what I’ve been discovering.

I’m not afraid to travel, or sit in a restaurant alone. I’m excited to go somewhere and learn about the people, the culture, and try to understand why things are the way they are or why people act the way they do. I’m not afraid to meet new people, learn new things, and fall in love.