Why do we travel?

Here are more reasons than one person could ever need to travel, to see the world, to move beyond her comfort zone, to open his eyes to difference and to sameness. May one speak to you, even if it just encourages you to walk into a bookstore or a coffee shop that is new to you and begin a conversation with a person heretofore unknown to you (see how I've cleverly avoided the word stranger and all its negative connotations?). Sometimes for me the best traveling is simply opening up a new book and going on a journey with the characters, à la Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist. Happy Trails.

"It’s invigorating – If you are open to it, travel will simply make you a more well-rounded human being." 

Airtreks  Being open is the key to many locked doors.

"Unless you sit at a resort drowning your brain in frozen drinks, travel will teach you about the world." 

Nomadic Matt  If you are drowning in anything (alcohol, self-pity, food, TV), it's hard to learn.

"Love yourself whole-heartedly, especially in times of solitude." 

Thought Catalog To me this summarizes the gift, the self-care of reading and of traveling alone.

"Yet for me the first great joy of traveling is simply the luxury of leaving all my beliefs and certainties at home, and seeing everything I thought I knew in a different light, and from a crooked angle."

Back to Life, Back to Reality  Light versus darkness; it's all there, the history of everything.

"Traveling to places less fortunate then where I come from always makes me appreciate what I have more."

Live More Awesome  Sometimes it's in how you define fortunate though; sometimes people who appear to have nothing actually have everything.

"Travel, in other words, is a basic human desire. We're a migratory species, even if our migrations are powered by jet fuel and Chicken McNuggets."

The Guardian  I want to migrate somewhere much warmer than here.

"Travel gives you relief from everyday life."

Trip Logic  Sometimes travel helps me see the glories of my everyday life, too.

"Most people I know who waited to travel the world never did."

Goins, Writer  This includes most people, doesn't it? I don't have to see the whole world, but I certainly would like to see more. Italy is at the top of my list.

"Because you are afraid, and it’s always good to make peace with your fears."

The Art of Non-Conformity  The unknown is definitely scary, and so much of travel involves the unknown, even with itineraries and bookings and reservations. I look wide-eyed at the people who travel with none of these and just go.

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

Lonely Planet  It's a mighty thick book, and it's time to get reading.

As Neil Young said, "Travel on."

Where will you go? http://googlephotos.blogspot.com/2011/05/google-photos-salutes-national-travel.html