Why bother to travel?

It’s National Travel Week and that’s got me wondering: Why do we love to travel?

There’s as many reasons as there are travelers. It’s in our DNA from ancient ancestors walking across icy straits in search of what? Probably food and perhaps warmer weather. Today the same could be said as exotic recipes are a lure for foodies and who doesn’t love a warm, tropical vacation?

Travel is broadening too. In Victorian times the aristocrats expected their youth to travel abroad as part of their education and maturity. Today high school grads are taking Gap years before college with encouragement. Backpackers of all ages hit the road for adventure and experience; to immerse themselves in the world and self-reflection.

Joseph Campbell put it this way: “People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.”

I know that I’ve felt most alive when facing life-challenging situations like scuba diving with sharks, bush-whacking through a jungle and the astoujnding experience of having a baby. But travel with the baby, now a young man, also makes me feel more alive as I experience his delight in exploring the new. It’s a big loop – my parents raised me on road trips all over the North American continent; I’ve continued far beyond anything they’d imagined and now impart that to the next generation. Talk about feeling connected to life. “Hakuna matata”

One thing that’s slipped out of travel discussions over the past ten years is the dampening effect that the tragedy of 9/11 had on American travel. Once the Iraq war was underway, the international community churned in protest and in even French fries were deemed unpatriotic. Many decided, mistakenly, that venturing outside our borders was perilous.

Some may have encountered un-American sentiment but anecdotally, most international American explorers reported back that they encountered a more subtle and welcome response. The world’s citizens know that we individually are not our government – like it or not. So much depends on each traveler’s attitude and how respectful they are, not what home stamp is in your passport.

Another reaction from 9/11 was the virtual closing of our borders to international visitors. If not officially, in fact the gauntlet of security checks, scrutiny, interrogation and the difficulty of obtaining visas, made visiting the States a sadists dream. Luckily, that’s changing.

Why we travel remains the same, but how we do it is shifting. Economically the U.S., like so many other countries, needs tourist dollars. The dollar exchange rate favors many other currencies, and while its value fluctuates, it still makes coming here more affordable for many. It brings the world to our doorstep. If you can't afford to travel then hang out with those who do, eventually you'll build great connections and save enough to venture far.

Worldwide the recession since 2008 has addled travel’s recovery and yet more Americans than ever say they want to travel. They have more options with the rise of internet travel searches, communities, ease of research and new opportunities. For example, the budget minded traveler has more than hotels and motels for a nights rest now. Well-established companies offer safe and cheaper alternatives, such as Airbnb.com, Globalfreeloaders.com, Couchsurfing.com and Home Exchange.com. Even respected travel editor Arthur Frommer has enjoyed some of those services himself (He said so as a guest speaker at the recent Los Angeles Times Travel Show!).

"Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible." says Edward Readicker-Henderson.

Don’t be rude! See if your town is celebrating National Travel Week, check out what’s going on, then make plans to go.

Photo by the author, Elaine J. Masters