In July, Matt from Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site asked his readers to submit essays on the meaning of travel. My entry, Travel Means Experiencing, was the runner up.
Travel Means Experiencing
The heart of my spirit comes from new experiences, and traveling means experiencing. Travel to me is a lifestyle, a need, like the air I breathe, because without it I would lose a part of myself and live a life less exceptional. Travel is about growth and change, self-improvement, seeing life in a different way, to face the unknown and appreciate the familiar, value the small things people stuck in offices don’t have time to notice. Find joy in the little moments. Live in the present.
Every day on the road is an adventure, extraordinary, filled with new acquaintances, conversations, music, laughter, tastes, smells, sights, and sounds. An excitement of not knowing what will happen, or who you will meet. Fast-paced days in the city, calm evenings on the beach, brief meetings, lifelong friendships. Ephemeral versus lasting.
The beauty of the world and the freedom that comes with traveling is too good to pass up, too beautiful to miss. I see myself as a global citizen and the world as my home. Whether I fly overseas, hop on a train to Paris, board a ferry in Greece, take a thirty minute bus ride, or walk to a new restaurant in my current neighborhood, I travel. I am independent and belong at the same time, distant and attached, free and limited. Traveling brings out the best in me, I lose myself in experiencing an absolute freedom with no more obligations than the ones I put on myself. I give and take, lend and borrow, teach and learn.
Travel is about being grateful for this world and the luxury it offers, while acknowledging, not ignoring, the opposite spectra – the ugly and unpleasant, the deprived, penniless, and unprivileged. People like you and me who see travelers every day, but can’t afford to travel on their own. To be kind to them as we are kind to ourselves. Discovering how our fellow beings live their daily lives, letting them help us and look for ways to help them – whether through an affectionate smile to a child, a sandwich from the local café to a homeless man on the street, a friendly chat with a local, or a two-month volunteer project. When made in compassion, no effort is too big or too small.
Travel also means living close to the earth; appreciate both nature and the urban. To welcome the unexpected, deal with challenges, see setbacks as opportunities, bring happiness to ourselves and others, and live life to the fullest, everyday. Travel means endless possibilities, infinite choices, and finding our own path to a richer life.
The best of all is just being out there, exploring – moving towards new experiences.
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You can read the winning entry by Ben Johnson from England at And the winner is……
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Jean-Francois Noel
1 year ago
Hi,
I recently realized that one of the key things I loved travel for was the unknown. I realized that going back to places I already know was fun, but what made it really worth it was going to new places. Places where my brain had to work overtime to puzzle even the simplest situation.
Erica Johansson
1 year ago
Hi Jean-Francois,
That makes a lot of sense. I also like returning to certain destinations, but discovering new places is so much more exciting.