Travel Young

Kenn, my brother-in-law, recently forwarded us this well-written article by Jeff Goins about why traveling is one of the most wonderful things you can do.

The article, particularly the last several paragraphs, really resonated with me. He writes,  

"There is nothing like riding a bicycle across the Golden Gate Bridge or seeing the Coliseum at sunset. I wish I could paint a picture for you of how incredible the Guatemalan mountains are or what a rush it is to appear on Italian TV. Even the amazing photographs I have of Niagara Falls and the American Midwest countryside do not do these experiences justice. I can’t tell you how beautiful southern Spain is from the vantage point of a train; you have to experience it yourself. The only way you can relate is by seeing them.

While you’re young, you should travel. You should take the time to see the world and taste the fullness of life. Spend an afternoon sitting in front of the Michelangelo. Walk the streets of Paris. Climb Kilimanjaro. Hike the Appalachian trail. See the Great Wall of China. Get your heart broken by the “killing fields” of Cambodia. Swim through the Great Barrier Reef. These are the moments that define the rest of your life; they’re the experiences that stick with you forever.

Traveling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you. You will begin to understand that the world is both very large and very small. You will have a newfound respect for pain and suffering, having seen that two-thirds of humanity struggle to simply get a meal each day.

While you’re still young, get cultured. Get to know the world and the magnificent people that fill it. The world is a stunning place, full of outstanding works of art. See it.

You won’t always be young. And life won’t always be just about you. So travel, young person. Experience the world for all it’s worth. Become a person of culture, adventure, and compassion. While you still can.

Do not squander this time. You will never have it again. You have a crucial opportunity to invest in the next season of your life now. Whatever you sow, you will eventually reap. The habits you form in this season will stick with you for the rest of your life. So choose those habits wisely.

And if you’re not as young as you’d like (few of us are), travel anyway. It may not be easy or practical, but it’s worth it. Traveling allows you to feel more connected to your fellow human beings in a deep and lasting way, like little else can. In other words, it makes you more human.
That’s what it did for me, anyway."

I am lucky that my parents and sister enjoy to travel and that I have sort of been "bred" to be a traveler for life. One of my biggest regrets at this point in life is to not have studied abroad in college, and while I may have been to and seen many places/countries since (see post "49 and counting"), I realize now what an opportunity I missed. I am lucky to have married a man who loves adventure and travel as much as I do and who I hope will keep me hungry for new places and new experiences. I know that traveling can be expensive; however, we are definitely thrifty travelers, and I can EASILY forgo new phones/ipads or other gadgets/nice cars/new clothes or shoes/expensive jewelry/meals out/salon haircuts and instead go on a trip every year. I definitely value and am willing to spring for "experiences," although I'm probably one of the most frugal people you will meet when it comes to "things."

 

 honeymoon, Bali, Indonesia, July 2011

Elephant Sanctuary outside KL, Malaysia, 2011

Many friends of ours are now pretty "settled," i.e. married with kiddos, and many don't seem to have the energy or interest to travel anymore. I am somewhat nervous about going down that "parenting" road as it obviously creates some challenges to jet-setting and I have seen how reluctant it makes some people to even venture outside their own state (we already see the travel limitations with just having our small dog). On the other hand, I do have several friends who are my heroes for their willingness to travel abroad with toddlers and even infants. There are soooo many places I still want to visit, including some which probably aren't considered that *safe* or clean, which we should probably do now, sooner, rather than later. However, by no means do I feel that parenting and traveling are or should be mutually exclusive.  I remember that, when we were at Angkor Wat in Cambodia a few years ago, I saw a foreign (Caucasian) couple there riding the vertical hot air balloon, with their 6-or-so-month old baby, and I thought "AWESOME." I was a richer "child" for having seen the world and, if we have kids, I want to ensure that they, too, "know" other cultures. If we don't ever have kids, I feel like we can still have a rich life, and it will be sure to include much worldly exploration.

So even though we are now both 30 and perhaps not as "young" as we used to be, we still plan to travel. From where we currently live, we may need to drive 6 hours to the nearest international/major airport to get going and we may only have 15 vacation days per year, but it is worth it. I hope we travel young, and continue to travel old. Next trip: TBD. We thinking about a few options for the spring/summer, including:

 

(trivia: what is this and where is it located? :))