Why Do We Travel?

Why do we travel?

We travel as an expression of passion for the world.
We travel to ardently pursue all we hope to discover.
We travel to be surprised, so that we don’t stop questioning.
We travel to exchange ideas, beliefs and values.
We travel to cultivate compassion, to stretch our hearts and expand our souls.
We travel to see someone smile and smile back at them.

From an email sent by Asian Transpacific Journeys

This is actually a pretty good statement of why we do travel. It’s amazing learning firsthand about other cultures and ideologies and places in the world. If you travel with an open mind and an open heart, you come away with an understanding of the world that you didn’t have when you left, and which you probably wouldn’t get without traveling.  You learn about other people and cultures, firsthand and without the filter of a writer, or the media, or anyone else who might have some reason to slant their story or shade the truth.

Is it worth it?  Definitely!

Somewhere we picked up the phrase that, “Traveling is an enriching experience, particularly when viewed with the benefit of hindsight.” Can’t remember where we read that or we’d credit them, but it makes a lot of sense. Sometimes, in the midst of the experience, you get a little bit homesick.

Your tummy hurts from strange food. Your gadgets won’t work because the systems are different, and they don’t fit quite right. Your drink doesn’t come with ice even when you ask for it, and ketchup is rationed like plutonium for some reason while chili is sprinkled around like talcum on a baby’s butt. There are times when you would gladly sell a child for a cheeseburger and fries.

Then something happens. You connect with a random person, you pick up a bit of information that suddenly makes a puzzle in your mind go together because you now recognize not only what people in other cultures do, but why they do it, or you make a new friend. It’s easier to keep those friends now because of the internet. People all over the world are on Facebook, and the phrase, “I’ll Friend you,” means that you can continue to learn and grow with these people all over the world, even if you never have a chance to leave your home to meet them in person again.

In traveling, you learn to appreciate the idiosyncracies of others, and hope that they learn that those of us on the other side of the world aren’t necessarily scary; that we want the same things that they do, and the two desires aren’t always incompatible. We aren't necessarily our government, nor are we the "official" positions that come out of the government.  Those we meet are sometimes relieved to find out that "real" people in America do not always agree with the actions of the government, just as they do not always agree with their own governments.  We usually have more in common than we do not.

We also travel when others cannot. We are blessed in that regard, and fully appreciate that it’s not only a gift, but also an obligation. That’s one of the reasons that we blog our trips. Maybe by sharing what we learn, we will also help someone else understand a different culture, or religion, or government, or may inspire them to get a passport and travel themselves.  Although it's sometimes a hassle to travel, it's really not scary or intimidating.  The hardest thing about it is deciding where to go and getting the suitcase out and ready.  After that, things are going to go they way they are intended, regardless of our plans.

The only regret about travel is that it’s never done. Just as you think you’ve fully explored somewhere, found every historical location, eaten in all the restaurants you wanted, when you’re packing up to go someone will say, “Have you been here,” or “Have you tried this,” and you realize that it’s not over, but you’re out of time – you have to return to your own life.

There are so many places to see and go, it’s hard to return to one that you’ve already visited. Time on this planet is limited, and there are simply too many places to see to waste even a single trip.

We’ve learned a lot on this trip, our first to Asian countries. There is a culture of “niceness” here that you don’t find many places. It’s genuine, too. Nobody could fake it that long.

There’s more patience here than you see in the US. People wait for crossing signals, and cars wait for pedestrians without honking. Food is served in real cups and dishes, and the assumption is that you’ll sit and enjoy your food, not that you’ll grab it in a bag and take it with you.  The fact that we didn't speak the same language as them was irrelevant -- sign language, gestures and trying was what was important, not vocabulary.  We are fortunate, however, that much of the world speaks English and do our children a great disservice by not insisting that they master a foreign language prior to graduation from high school -- not just have exposure, but be sufficiently able to converse and get by in at least one other language so that they can go out into the world.

Western influence is everywhere.  Singapore feels very much like New York City in that it's full of tall buildings and lots of places to eat.  Hawkers courts -- the open air restaurants -- are a bit of a novelty, but not so much that you can't get used to them in fairly short order.

The unexpected gem that we found - and wished we had allowed more time to explore - was Siam Reap, Cambodia.  It is what we imagine Thailand was 30 years ago -- early in development, but still very much a local environment sufficiently pristine to be fresh and exciting.

Our trip is over.  In a few days, the jet lag will go away, days and nights will become more ordered and structured and life as we knew it before will resume.    Thanks to all of you who've followed along with us and offered encouragement and comments.  We look forward to sharing with you again on our next trip.

Oh wait.....one more thing....life will continue to pass minute by minute......but we are forever changed by this experience....changed in good ways.