Why do you travel?

I am looking for new things. I am looking for reminders of all that is good. I am looking for examples of how humans all around the world have been finding ways to survive and thrive even in the face of deep loss. There is no place where you travel where you don’t hear woven into the story of a land about the people who were conquered or encaptured, and yet, over time they find a way to preserve themselves and their values.

I travel to remind myself of the values that go unchecked in my baggage and to see if there are some pieces of them that need to get left behind like an old pair of flip-flops that no longer fit in my suitcase.

I travel to dig deeper into my resilience, to overcome disappointment, and to laugh at the tears I have cried over the small things.

I travel to bring myself closer to myself.

I travel to remind myself that I am not special, and yet, I am amazing, just like all of the foiks around the planet who find ways to manage in all climates (both ecological and political) and do so with deep love and care for those around them.

If you’re a traveler or hoping to travel, why? What makes you seek new lands/spaces? What are you looking for? What have you found?