11 Reasons Why I Love To Travel And Explore

When I was a kid, it was never my dream to travel. As far as I can remember, I never liked the idea of stressing myself in packing up clothes, toys and other essentials for traveling. And I always don’t feel well when I travel by bus. Oftentimes, I throw up while still halfway through our destination. Well, that was me 15 years ago.

Today, I consider traveling not just a regular hobby on a long weekend, but a passion that is part of being who I am. Each human being is unique with different purposes in life. That goes the same with traveling; each one of us has different reasons why we go to places that we haven’t been. Some of us travel to get away from someone or something like Alexander Supertramp who ventured the Alaskan Wilderness to get away from a family conflict. Others, on the other hand, live their lives outside of a backpack to look for something like Cheryl Strayed who conquered the Pacific Crest Trail to regain her old self.

Whatever your reasons are, the important thing is you don’t miss the chance of going on a journey. Here are 11 reasons why I love to travel.

1 It makes me organized

Early planning is an important part of traveling. Of course, not everyone is going to agree that meticulous preparation is necessary before hopping on a journey because some free-spirited individuals would like to be spontaneous. But the thing is, I am the type who carefully plans out an upcoming escapade. From the itinerary to the budget, I make sure that I am more than prepared when I leave the walls of my abode.

2 It is easy to travel now than before

With the enormous number of flights daily around the world, there’s no excuse for someone not to travel. And with a very competitive travel and tourism market industry, you can purchase a good deal of trip package, a South East Asian tour for example. Almost every week travel agencies offers package sales. It is only up to you, if you want them to plan out your trip for you or you can make your own itinerary. Either way, your trip won’t be meaningful unless you make it one.

3 Eating new local dishes and delicacies

I must confess. With my increasing body weight and bulging tummy, blame it to all the sumptuous food I devoured. Yes, I am a certified food junkie. I eat everything what is on the plate. I don’t have preferences, but I have favorites. A big chunk of my budget goes to eating food that I haven’t tried. The very first thing on my itinerary would most likely be a famous food place. It may be a fancy restaurant or a hole-in-the-wall, as long as it is considered their specialty, it’s a must try for me. Knowing what people eat and the taste of their food gives you an idea the personality of a certain place. I believe that what people eat is a reflection of themselves.

4 It develops the positive side in me

In relation to number one, I am well aware that everything is not going to happen as planned. There are a lot of things that are out of our control. One thing about traveling is that no matter how perfect your plan is, some things will and always go wrong. Long before I started traveling, I always think that a plan not followed is a failure. But now, I learn how to accept setbacks without feeling depressed.

5 Learn new language or dialect

What is more fulfilling than being able to communicate with the locals using their language or dialect. Yes it might be considerably tough, but the effort of learning a new language is such an amazing feat for anyone. It is during my trip to Iloilo City in Western Visayas region in the Philippines that I realized how essential it is to learn a local language. It doesn’t only make you more at home, but knowing the lingua franca will make things easier for you when traveling to a certain destination. Simple greetings and basic conversational phrases is such a big help. Oftentimes if you’re in dire need of help, people will flock to your rescue.

6 It allows me to meet the locals and gain new friends

One thing I really love about travel is that you don’t only gain new experiences and take home souvenirs. You could also meet some residents in the area and get be friends with them. This is also one way to get to know the place profoundly compared to what you read in magazines and online articles. What I find very weird is that I am more open to talking to people whom I don’t know, or I just met for the first time or basically strangers. I don’t have this apprehension that I might get nabbed or hurt. So far, I haven’t been into a dangerous situation where someone did something bad to me. Just a little precaution would still be necessary for anyone who always travel.

7 It reconnects me with nature

I believe that being human is being with nature. I’m not particular with the place to explore, but it always excites me when I go to beaches, mountain trails, islets and everything without tall buildings. This is one way to have a glimpse of the world and appreciate its beauty.

8 It resets my mind

Every time I hop on a journey alone, I always pack with a heavy heart. There are some things that I want to clear out of my mind. With traveling, I have all the time to think over the things around me; my work, family and what would I be doing with my life in the future.

9 It keeps me fit

No matter where you go, a surefire to get to every corner of the place is to just walk. As a traveler, I always make sure that I am able to roam around the place without missing any important landmark or any other important site. A good pair of sandals or rubber shoes is a needed tool without hurting your feet with the mile walks you will be taking.

10 It teaches me the value of time

One of the most important lesson traveling taught me is how valuable our time is. Perhaps time is the most important thing everyone has. It can never have a price tag. But because I’m an employee working 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, I could only travel for only short span of days. I usually plan it on a long weekend or I ask for a leave for a couple of days so that my plan pushes through. I could never waste any single minute when I am in place given a limited amount of time. Seizing every moment has always been my mantra in life. For what its worth, we can never go back to the time that passed us.

11 It widens my perspective in life

We should always be reminded that there’s the whole world for us. We may be divided by whatever reasons there is, but every human being in this world have common fundamentals in living this world. We all have dreams and aspirations in life; the things that keep us moving on. As I go to places, travel unlocks a certain part of me. It allows me to have a deep understanding about my entire existence in this world.

by Albert Fernandez of Trekeffect