I’m sitting in the San Francisco airport waiting to board a flight. The past month I’ve been traveling much more than usual (even for myself). It’s my first backpacking adventure that’s lasted more than two weeks in over a year. As I sit here, tired and exhausted from a family wedding last night, I can’t help but wonder why do we travel?
This seven week trip around North America has a few different travel purposes for me. Firstly, it’s to see people. I’ve attended two friends’ marriages, visited family and caught up with old friends. The next three weeks will be more of the same: seeing even more people that I haven’t seen in years, visiting family and reconnecting with some of my favorite cities (Boston and New York).
It hasn’t been easy—this month of backpacking with set itineraries and a million things to do and people to see. And yet I’d have to say that this trip is worth every trouble. It’s worth every night of 3 hours of sleep, every time change, every baggage fee, every twisted ankle from dancing. This trip is worth every meal out, every couch I’ve slept on and every time I’ve looked for a power outlet in an airport.
I’m so happy to travel. To be able to travel where I want, when I want. There’s a lot of luck and happenstance involved—a lot of work, too—but I know I’m lucky to be able to travel so much.
The purpose of this travel adventure was to see people, but other trips have had other purposes. Everything from experiencing a new culture, trying new foods, marking it off a list. Here are four main reasons I think why we all want to travel. Please feel free to chime in and offer your reasons in the comments.