Why I Travel

I can't express the joy it brings me when people read, appreciate, and interact with my writing. If you follow me regularly, you noticed that I took about a week off. I think I got a little overwhelmed by the advertising side of blogging. I keep forgetting why I started this in the first place. As nice as it would be to be one of those people who can support themselves travelling, blogging, and taking photos, I highly doubt I will ever be one of those people. Therefore, I have to remind myself to enjoy the little things. The small victories of writing a piece that makes a person want to do something, or go somewhere. That is enough.

I have been wanting to write a piece about why I travel for a while because I'm asked about it frequently enough. I went on a date a few days ago with a man who shared my love of travel and the entire time was spent discussing our previous adventures and adventures yet to come. I could spend hours discussing this topic with complete strangers so this post is long overdue.

1. I'm a sensation junkie. This is not to be confused with an adrenaline junkie. The feeling of an adrenaline rush is horrible to me, as it too closely mimics the feeling of a panic attack. What a sensation junkie is, is a person who loves the feeling of experiencing something, anything. I love suspenseful movies and TV shows, travelling, food (especially trying new food), new books (I VERY rarely re-read a book I've already read despite how much I may have loved it), getting tattoos, changing my appearance in any way.

Cyprus 2015

2. Travel is the only time I can truly focus on the now. I have bipolar disorder and a pretty severe case of anxiety so most of my days are spent scrutinizing every mistake I have ever made and fretting about every mistake I have yet to make. When I travel, I have no option other than to focus on the moment I'm in, otherwise I'll miss the place I'm in. It's the only time I can truly appreciate the present.

Cyprus 2015

3. It makes people look at me differently. When people find out I travel, all of a sudden, I'm fascinating to them. I don't want to say that I'm boring otherwise, but now, they want to hear my stories, find out where I've been, where I'm going, they want to "ooh" and "aah" at my adventures and live vicariously through me if they, themselves are not a traveller. I don't know if I just don't look like a traveller, or maybe there are just so few of us out there, but people seem to be awed by those who wander, especially those who wander frequently to far off destinations.

4. I get stir crazy when I stay in the same place for too long. I went on two international trips last year and am going on at least two (possibly three) international trips next year so this year I have had to refrain from using my passport and it's driving me insane. The temptation to buy a ticket to anywhere is ripping me apart. I want to live in the moment. I want to see something different and try something different. I want a new story to tell.

5. Every single trip is so unique. I'm planning two trips next year. One is to Scotland and the other is a trip around Europe. The trip around Europe took me all of two days to plan whereas the Scotland trip took me over a week. Depending on what kind of experience you want to have, you can build your trip around it. And, as much as I complain about planning these trips, I secretly kind of like it. Hitting that turning point where everything all of a sudden falls into place is rewarding beyond belief.

Some of the fauna in Iceland, geese.

6. There is so much history and so much of the world out there! I love feeling that connection to a place from long ago. The feeling at the Wailing Wall, for instance, is not something I can ever forget. I'm not a religious person, but I cried. The atmosphere was so thick. The emotions of all the people that were there that night, of all the people that were there on nights for thousands of years before all flood into you. There is nowhere else I would have been able to experience a feeling like that. And that's the thing, you never know what you are going to experience until you actually get there. I had no idea that this was how I was going to react at the Wailing Wall!

7. And finally, it's an addiction. I'm addicted to the feeling of getting on the airplane, of getting off the airplane, of wandering the streets of a new city, of trying new food, of seeing new wildlife, of experiencing history, of being able to talk about it and relive the experience over and over again personally and for others through my writing. It's an addiction to knowing that I've done something out of the ordinary. Yes, it's cost me a lot of money, and time, and there is no flight long enough to discourage me because it is always beyond worth it.

These are just a few reasons why I travel. There are so many other great reasons for wanderlust. Make me happy and interact with me, what are some of your reasons for travelling?

Safe Travels,