The urge to travel the world is a feeling that resonates with millions. However, just as many people are content with staying put and not experiencing everything our planet offers. Recently, men and women met in an online discussion to reveal the answers to a straightforward question: What drives people to travel?
1. They Grew up in a Small Town
For many travelers, the urge to explore the world is because they grew up in a small town. As someone with a family who has lived in the same general suburb of Philadelphia for generations, I know how feeling trapped in a small town can eat at a person. It's exhilarating to realize there's an entire world out there to explore!
2. They Don't Want a Cookie-Cutter Life
Millions of people despise living a cookie-cutter life, and the thought of living by the status quo is not intriguing to them. “I was previously a homeowner, and it felt like the biggest waste of time, a scam money pit,” confesses one woman. “Thankfully, I got out and made a profit, but never again. I really do resent when people say I'm lucky to travel, though. It's not luck, it's priorities. Travel is mine.” I don't blame anyone for thinking this!
3. They Want to Experience Culture Shock
If you've lived in the United States your whole life, you've likely never experienced true culture shock. Sure, some cities and areas in the country are shocking, but life is generally the same anywhere you travel. However, traveling overseas allows anyone to experience authentic culture shock. Nothing in the United States can prepare someone for visiting cities like Tokyo or Beijing!
4. They Love World History
History buffs love traveling the world because it gives them an experience that reading and research can't necessarily provide. While you can read about the Eiffel Tower and Normandy to an obsessive degree, nothing compares to standing in the tower's shadow or feeling the actual sand beneath your feet! World history can only be fully appreciated by visiting the countries that made it.
5. They Grew up Poor
Anybody who grew up poor knows the heartbreaking feeling of never getting to explore the world. Men and women who worked hard to make better lives for themselves consistently express the desire to travel because it's a door that was never able to open at a young age!
6. They Are Bored
It sounds silly, but countless people confess to traveling out of sheer boredom! It's true; many are caught up in their mundane lives and look to traveling to fill a void. Often, traveling doesn't fill the hole in their lives, but at least they see the world!
7. It Fosters Positive Mental Health
Many people will do whatever it takes to ensure their mental health is consistently high, and the travel bug is an easy way to foster that goal. “I travel because it helps to maintain my mental health,” reveals one man. “I love to explore new places, learn about culture, eat some delicious food, and get inspired.”
8. Because Why Not?
For some men and women, there is no rhyme or reason why they travel. Many people explore the world on a whim because that's where life has taken them. The “Why not?” reason for traveling is refreshingly honest. Not every action needs a legitimate reason; some people don't feel the need to explain themselves!
9. They Never Want To Stop Learning
The thirst for knowledge drives people to consume information at any turn. These people know the best way to learn new things is to explore areas that can foster that hunger. “Whether it's about a place's history, culture, food, architecture, or geography, every place I visit teaches me something new,” one frequent traveler reports.
10. They Have the Money To Do So
Let's face it: Some people have so much money, and traveling is the only way they know how to spend it. You know the type: The wealthy young couple constantly posting photos of their travels to social media, desperately searching for clout. Of course, there's nothing wrong with traveling this way, but everybody knows they're doing it for the attention and not for the experience of traveling.
11. They Love Meeting New People
You can never have too many friends. Unsurprisingly, many men and women cite expanding their social circle as the primary reason for traveling. “Meeting new people is why I travel so much,” explains one man. “It puts things in perspective that the world isn't small and mundane. I've met the kindest strangers who have literally welcomed me into their homes, shown me around, introduced me to their friends and family, and shared meals and experiences with me. I've created incredible memories with them.”
12. They Want To Eat New and Exciting Food
For anyone enamored with food and world cuisine, traveling is the single best way to live the life you are meant to have. There is an endless array of meals and dishes to consume worldwide, and the only way to experience the flavors and styles of foreign cuisine is to jump on a plane and taste them for yourself. There's a reason cooking and traveling TV shows are often combined: it's a proven system.
13. It's an Escape From Work
We all can relate to people who use traveling to escape from the grind of their job, can't we? One person puts it all into perspective. “I feel like my job can be quite emotionally and mentally draining, so traveling (solo or in small groups) is a way for me to have something to look forward to and to rejuvenate myself from time to time,” reveals one woman.
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Source: Reddit.
