The Best Reasons to Travel

Emily and I celebrated a new milestone this weekend. Five years ago, we got hitched. Every year we like to the take time and reflect on just how far we’ve come. In this case, we’ll talk literally. In these last five years, we’ve been to over 30 cities in 17 countries. If you haven’t yet picked up on it yet, we love to travel.

For each new adventure, we look reach out for an unfamiliar element to experience fascinating cultures and meet interesting people. We’ve thrown colours at the fabled birthplace of Krishna during Holi and have channeled our inner Robert Langdon as we were ushered towards the necropolis beneath St. Peter’s Basilica by the Swiss Guard. The are endless opportunities for the world to inspire and delight and yet, not many make the effort to take advantage of what lies beyond the familiar.

The Cost of Travelling

Cue the chorus. Aren’t you supposed to be writing about saving money and being practical? Why would you opt to blow it on a fleeting moment instead of putting it into retirement? True, there are many costs associated with travel. Passports, visas, flights and accommodations aren’t free. And, yes, we want to learn how to spend and invest our money wisely to prepare for the future but there are just some things that all the money accumulated in savings cannot buy. Indulge me then, if you will, while I put this forth for your consideration. Travelling challenges the status quo through teaching valuable lessons and disrupting established preconceptions.

The Value of Travel

My early days of travel were more out of necessity than from a desire to wander and explore. My parents took an opportunity to work in the Middle East, sending me to a boarding school in Europe. With two suitcases in tow, I spent my highschool years living in a dorm and visited my parents on holidays. While my situation may not be the norm, the occurrence is common enough that anthropologist Ruth Hill Useem coined the term third culture kid. Living in a foreign environment during my formative years irreversibly expanded my limited view of the world. Instead of reading about the World Wars, I was fortunate enough to crawl through trenches and walk the shores of Omaha beach. Instead of just hearing about the unrest in the Middle East, we went on family outings in Hezbollah controlled territory. Seeing, they say, is believing and experiences like these put into context a tangible reality. It’s a real eye opener seeing how people everywhere in the world live and make do in situations so incredibly varied from our own. In Cambodia, there are people who live in floating villages where houses and shops are built on stilts and stand above the water’s surface. There are others in Egypt that live where the city’s garbage is brought and support their families through sorting garbage to retrieve useful or recyclable items. It certainly puts into perspective the freedom and opportunities we can so easily take for granted in Canada. Travelling has taught us to respect the value of money. Hopelessly lost in the Kahri Baloli spice market in search of the Delhi Red Fort, we finally caved and hailed down a rickshaw to take us to our destination. We negotiated the fare upfront, and after an hour in traffic slower than the DVP at rush hour, we paid the driver in rupees what must have been the equivalent of $0.50 CAD. His reaction for his money earned: satisfaction. His reaction for the extra dollar he was tipped: priceless. The gratitude he expressed for what amounted to less than a cup of coffee serves as a rude reminder that Thanksgiving isn’t the only time count our lucky stars. Another aspect in which travel made an impact comes from having grasped how simply people can live. One evening in a teahouse lodge up in the Himalayas, we watched a little girl play with an empty water bottle for the better part of an hour. I was first inclined to chalk it up to a child’s imagination and disposition, but in all honesty, if we could learn and teach our children the same, Mattel would surely go out of business.

Make Travelling a Priority

The experiences we’ve gained and invaluable lessons we’ve learned through travelling are worth their weight in gold. I would agree that the preparation can be quite the hassle. For those still asking “why bother?” Respectfully, I ask, “why not?” My random excuse generator usually gets stuck on “it costs too much” or “it’s too dangerous.” I’m sure there are a few other options to choose from. If you have your financial situation under control and have a desire to be challenged, the goal of saving for travelling is entirely achievable. We have a mortgage to maintain, a child’s future in our hands and our own retirement savings to consider, but we also choose to budget and put our hard earned money towards a travel fund. Don’t get me wrong, this discretionary spending would be reallocated towards necessities in a heartbeat should tougher times come. In the meantime, we will continue to seek and realize the lasting effects of a broadened perspective in our day to day. If you don’t yet have the itch maybe this will convince you to get out and MOVE.

What lessons have you learned from being on the road?