Remember to travel

trav·el

/ˈtravəl/

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verb

1. 1.

   make a journey, typically of some length or abroad.

This is the Webster's Dictionary definition of a simple word. And as most words, it truly means nothing until one person gives it a purpose. To the person who gave this word meaning, I thank you. We all do. Because travelling is not just a word, but a feeling. The phrase "to travel" ignites something in us all that makes us feel like life isn't all completely awful. Although it means something different to each of us individually, let me try and show you what it means to me, personally. 

I have put in my blogs many times that I consider myself a "wanderer." I love having somewhere to come back to and plant my feet, but I have a need to have those feet be swept away as often as I can. I find such joy in discovering new places and old places, because there is always something new to find. Wanderlust does not even begin to describe how I feel while in a new place. In many ways it is like an addiction; I am always needing more culture and more adventures.

Landing in a new place, for me, is like a kid on Christmas morning. Do you remember when you were really little and could barely sleep the night before because you were waiting up for Santa? You would wake your parents up as early as humanly possible and run to the Christmas tree. It brought a sense of wonder and excitement to you that you only felt on that day. And after that day was over, you could not wait until the next year, just to get that feeling back. Because, maybe for the first time in your life, you felt unburdened. That is what travelling does. 

No matter where you go, it is always a new adventure. Each adventure will be filled with good memories and experiences, as well as some bad. But you push past the bad because you know that whatever happened did not destroy your love for the world. 

As we start to come out of our global pandemic and reopen the world just a bit, the fact of travelling has brought peace to many people who were not able to for a couple of years, myself included. From being cooped up with no where to go to now being able to spread our wings again, let us once again find some peace within ourselves and within the world.

Remember: travel as often as you can.