I am one of five kids in my family. Growing up, my parents took us on family vacations anywhere they could drive to. As much as I love my family, these trips were not how I became to love travel. Our family trips consisted of long car rides, quarrels with my siblings, and a constant stream of questions like “when are we eating?” and “are we there yet?” from my siblings and myself included. Bless my parents for putting up with us and still taking us to new places!
Flying in Love
My love of travel began in my senior year of high school. I was going on a trip through our 4-H club to Atlanta, Georgia. This was my first time on a plane. I boarded the plane following the friends I was travelling with. They were all experienced flyers and boarded the plane effortlessly. I remember sitting in my seat, with my belt buckled, waiting for take off. I was so thankful they went over the safety procedures and instructions before take off. It helped to calm my nerves. As we raced down the runway, going faster and faster, I began to feel light. Light enough to float away. Then I realized we were in the air. I was in absolute awe.
I looked at the people around me to see if any of them were seeing what I was or if they were feeling the way I was feeling. Most of them were reading or sitting with their eyes closed. I couldn’t believe their actions could be so mundane at the same time I was completely captivated by the fact we were IN the AIR.
This single moment changed my life. It changed my perspective. It gave me a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity. Nowadays, I still get a giddy feeling anytime I fly and I continue to amuse myself with the fact that I once found the pre flight safety demonstration comforting.
Travel is Transformative
Travelling abroad has been the single most impactful experience of my life. It has expanded my ability to understand, accept, and adapt to things foreign to me. I have found other places in the world that I love more than my home. More importantly, I overcame my own ignorance born from a lack of exposure to other people, cultures, and places.
Some of the reasons I have grown to love travel include:
- The ability to try new foods and flavors
- Comparing different lifestyles and cultures
- Learning history from the source (where historical events occurred)
- Understanding how historical events have shaped the societies and cultures that are present today
- Identifying new business models, innovative solutions, and trends in other countries (I’m a business nerd)
- Taking in the sights of nature and unique architecture styles
- Viewing pieces of history that have withstood the test of time and remind us of how important the past is
- The continuous journey of searching and researching new places to fall in love with
Thank you so much for reading my article today. Trying to describe why one loves to travel is quite a difficult process so I hope I have done this topic justice. If you have any questions of comments please write them below!
Until next time,
Sarah Elizabeth ❤
If you enjoyed this article, you may like: Where I Have Traveled So Far.
