Travel. The word conjures up so many visions from carefree time on the beach to long horrific journeys in the car with an irritating sibling. Why do we travel? Obviously there is a very human need to take a break from our every day existence and to spend time with the people that we care about. We can see the things that are close to home, go camping, go to a resort, visit Disneyland or Disneyworld, travel to a foreign country......the possibilities are endless.
I have found travel to be meaningful to me personally because I had a parent who was born in Europe. I was given the incredible opportunity to visit with family members when I was still young, who did not live a life that was identical to my life at home. I still vividly recall going shopping with my grandmother and her sister. They did not shop at a supermarket, but rather went to the baker, the butcher, the greengrocer...... I was fascinated by the fact that these people had a personal relationship with my grandmother. The butcher had pork chops ready for her because she always got them on a Thursday. It made me sad when I came home to know that no one knew my family like that at our supermarket.
The most important thing that I realize now, is that I was able to experience a life that was different than my way of doing things but one that was superior in some ways. That is why travel is important to me. I feel that seeing that there is more than one way to do things helped me to be more accepting as a teen and as an adult and changed the way that I saw everything in my world. We took our children to Europe when they were 12 and 13 so they too could have the chance to see the world differently and perhaps be global citizens.
So here is my question to you. Why do you travel?
