The answers are as varied as humanity itself. For some, traveling broadens their worlds. The experience of new cultures and foods, or gaining an understanding of a foreign way of life is the lure for many. Still others find the excitement of watching a world event like the Olympics or the Tour d’France the draw. It’s an escape from the drudgery of daily life. The chance for the city dweller to sunbathe on a deserted beach. The opportunity to watch a lion stalk its prey on the Serengeti appeals to the nature lover. Maybe it’s the chance to witness the grace and beauty of the Aurora Borealis. Whatever the motive, travel is a powerful lure for many people. Done well, travel broadens our perspective, introduces us to new music, and allows us to live a fuller life.
The question of why we travel is highly personal. I have friends who see a movie set in a Tuscan Village and vow to one day sip cabernet from a Tuscan Patio as the sun sets. Other friends are called to service, traveling to earthquake ravaged Nepal to help school children continue their studies. Some just want to walk in the footsteps of Marco Polo, stand speechless in the shadow of the Mona Lisa, or simply want that elusive selfie with the Eiffel Tower silhouetted in the background.
If you are the kind who stays home, watching in awe or jealousy as your sister posts photos from her most recent adventure to Thailand, it’s your turn! You can travel the world safely, independently, and burning less cash than you would expect. Shed whatever is holding you back and read on.
We are living in an unprecedented time of travel. Think about it. If we lived in the 1800’s, the dream of an African Safari was just that – a dream. Only the very wealthy could afford the cost of ship and train fares and the months needed to travel to the heart of Africa. Today we can pay as little as $1000, board a flight in Los Angeles, and be gazing at African Giraffes in Kenya less than 48 hours later. Sure, the flight is $1000 and then there’s hotel, transfers, and park entrance fees to account for. But if gazing on elephants crossing a river is your dream, it can be accomplished.
A few years back my husband and I took a cruise on the Amazon River. One of our travelling companions was a young school teacher from the Midwest US. She proudly told us she had saved for that trip for close to 5 years. Her teaching salary didn’t afford her to travel in luxury to five star resorts on the Mediterranean, but she had her travel dreams and worked diligently to make them come true.
In the early 1950’s my grandparents would travel to Hawaii from California for vacation. Big deal – you think. It’s a 5-hour flight. I can book that flight for less than $500 round trip in low season. Heck, Southwest Airlines even flies there now. I can work a full day Friday in California and wake up Saturday morning in my hotel listening to the Pacific Surf. But in the 1950’s that 5-hour flight took closer to 8-hours and cost roughly $100. In 1950 dollars. That same $100 ticket would have set you back over $1100 today.
Sure, flying was more luxurious in the dawn of the atomic age. Ladies wore dresses and men were adorned in suits and ties. A multi-course meal was served on china plates and drinks were free. Still, at those prices, you didn’t jump on a plane to Honolulu every day. Today, we can travel so much further, so much faster, at a fraction of the cost.
So start dreaming. Start making your wish list of places near and far. And find out why you want to travel!