Why we should travel

Have you ever wondered why we travel?

Most of us no longer need to go anywhere outside our immediate areas to sustain ourselves. Most of us have everything we need for the consumption of our desires right in our own towns. Grocery, clothing, home improvement stores, and with the advent of online shopping, nearly 15% of all purchases are made online, we don’t even need to leave the house. Maybe the answer is obvious. Maybe we get just get bored of the same things. But, with the internet we can go anywhere, see anything, and experience anyplace, anytime we want, for free! So why pay a lot of money, spend hours on hours on flights across deep oceans to see something or experience something we can visit online without the crowds, pollution, etc.

Well, I believe it’s because innately as human beings we have a passion for learning. And to have a passion for learning means we need to be curious. When we watch YouTube videos or read blogs on attractions around the world, we are seeing someone else’s experience. This in many ways is great. It helps us learn what we didn’t know. It can answer questions we have. But there is one thing it doesn’t do. It doesn’t clear all doubt. It only answers the questions that individual had or decided to share with us. When we see something, we have never seen before, particularly if we are interested in the subject matter, we want to do it ourselves. We may have just watched someone else do it and understand the science and mechanics, but we still must do it to further acknowledge or own curiosity. It clears that last bit of doubt. Take for example a small child touching a hot stove after being told not to because it’s hot by his or her mother. We have to experience for ourselves to truly learn on a level that allows human growth. Yes, it’s how hot but how hot? The child touches it and is now painfully aware it is hot enough to not touch again.

Our senses are powerful. So powerful in fact they define how we experience the world and without them our perception of the world would be greatly altered. If we could only see and hear perhaps, we would not feel a need to explore after watching a video, though I still doubt this. We want more. Our curiosity tells us there is more. We want to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste and interact in the moment based off our own desires and preferences. Someday technology might be able to fill that void but not yet. So, if I am correct and we travel due to our own curiosity which is to learn. What are we learning and why do we value it so much? I already stated all of our immediate needs are met at home which is surely the primal reason for traveling and exploring, to acquire more resources. Also, as all of us who have traveled know it is expensive and often less than relaxing. So, what is it? I believe what we gain is a deep understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. The value of which cannot be understated.

Thoughts to be continued…