This is post #2 on Day 20 of our Travel is.. series!
When asked to fill in the sentence “Travel is ______.” I found it nearly impossible to come up with one word that was all encompassing.
Travel is fun, educational, awe-inspiring, addictive, stressful, expensive, worth it, etc. One of my favorite quotes is by Augustine of Hippo:
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Such a true statement.
Travel is Educational:
I have learned so much from traveling, and I have gained appreciation for the things that I already knew. Reading about the horror that took place in the Colosseum and walking through its rock corridors are two very different things. Hearing that the Irish like to drink at pubs and sharing a pint with a local are two very different things.
Reading about the tragedy of Pompeii and seeing bodies entombed in ash are two very different things. Travel is not just memorizing facts for a test; it is truly learning in a way that changes you. When you connect with a place or an experience, something in your soul alters leaving you with a deeper understanding and sympathy for people you never knew.
Travel is Adventure:
Pull on your hiking boots and trek through the rainforest. Go white water rafting. Go mountain biking. Drive through the winding back country roads of Costa Rica, the Alps, or California. Go without a plan. Spend your days consumed with nothing but wondering what gorgeous vista is around the next corner.
Travel is Relaxing:
Plan a trip that means you don’t have to do anything but relax on a beach. Sometimes these trips are absolutely necessary and absolutely deserved. “Oh waiter… Yes, I’ll have another mojito.” Travel can mean ultimate luxury and ultimate relaxation. Nothing but the sand between your toes and a drink always at arms length. Maybe, for you, relaxing means a cabin tucked away in the mountains with a good book, fresh coffee, and a warm blanket. Get out of your daily grind, decompress, and come home refreshed.
Travel is Cuisine:
Do you dare to try escargot? How about the fancy fish that still has its head attached? I’ll try just about anything if it comes with a bottle of wine. When you travel you are forced to leave your culinary bubble and try things that are new and different. Often, this means a most glorious and delicious surprise. The odor of fresh pastries wafting into the street from European bakeries is one of the most glorious smells that has ever graced this earth. Try something new. Always, always experience different culture’s foods. They know what they are doing.
Travel is Rewarding:
Travel is whatever you want it to be. For all the of reasons above and a hundred more– travel. Don’t make excuses. Just go. Be educated, be adventurous, relax, and eat. I beg you, don’t just read one page of the book. Read as much of the book as God allows. You’ll be all the richer for it.
Please click the image below to see the other posts in this 31-day series!
Annie was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. She’s always had a passion for literature—the characters you get to know, and the places you experience through words written on a page have always held magic for me. Reading about the wonder of foreign locales, tiny towns, and quirky people has inspired her to set off on her own adventures. Seeing the world through her own two eyes rather than through the words of others has been a blessing. It has impacted the way she lives her day-to-day life and the way she dreams of her future.