Preparation: Philosophizing

My first blog post!

Thanks for reading.
The purpose of this blog is for my family and friends to follow along with me as I trot across the globe.

Tomorrow, I will embark on my first adventure to Europe. Spanning 2 months and about 13 countries, my trip will be primarily for selfish, tourist reasons, although I hope to be anything other than a typical  "tourist." While I do intend to see the sights, have some adventures, and discover hidden beauty, I also hope to make new friends, experience new cultures, and gain a new perspective on life along the way.

When I tell people that I'm going to travel, many people ask, "Why?" This is mostly out of curiosity, as in, what is my purpose for traveling, but  a few people also ask in the "Why on earth would you want to do that?!?" kind of way. My response is usually, "Why not?" A cop-out answer, I know.  But I've begun to think more deeply about why I want to spend so much of my time (and my money) traveling internationally. The one answer that continues to come to mind is: adventure. I desire adventure in life, and I do not feel satisfied without it. I cannot be content knowing that I have only seen such a small part of this world and knowing there is so much more out there to experience. I know that I will not be able to see every inch of the world before I die, but I can't help but try.  I hope that my goal of travel is never in the form of a checklist: going places and seeing things simply to check them off my list. Travel, much like life, is about the journey, not the destination. That, in a nutshell, is my "philosophy of travel."

This philosophy of mine also includes my ideas about what I want to gain from travel. For me, the relationships I make and the people I meet are more important to me than the number of places I visit or the number of crazy things I do. Similarly, experiencing a new culture as deeply as possible is more important to me than experiencing a lot of cultures only a little bit (quality over quantity is the theme here). So then, it would seem contradictory for me to plan my first trip in this way: 13 countries in 2 months, staying in some countries for no more than a day.

When I had originally started dreaming about my travels, I always thought I would pick one place and stay there for an extended period of time, rather than hopping around, living like a tourist/nomad. If, after all, the relationships I make are more important to me than the sights I see, and if fully immersing myself in a culture is more desirable to me than living like a tourist, then it would make sense for me to live in one place for an extended period of time. But as I researched study abroad trips, the peace corps, teaching abroad, and international internships, nothing really seemed to fall into place. But the idea of traveling just for tourism still seemed like a selfish, expensive, and non-meaningful way to travel that was in direct opposition of my philosophy. But I think I'm okay with the idea of it now. There's nothing wrong with living like a tourist, always with open eyes and an open mind to something new every day. After all, I do love a change of scenery and hate being stuck anywhere. I've had to tell myself that this is not selfish, that I have worked hard for the money and the time off to travel, and that I can still live abroad long-term later in life if I want to. And I think I can still maintain my philosophies about travel along the way, as long as I prioritize the people and the culture over the material things and the touristy places.

While there remain a few skeptics who think I'm crazy for traveling (especially solo, at times), most people are supportive and excited for me. Many people say, " Good for you! I wish I had done that when I was your age," or, "Traveling was one of the best things I ever did. You won't regret it!" or, "I wish I had the time/money/lack of commitments to do that."  So I am going to take advantage of the face that I have no commitments holding me down and no time constraints. I know that if I keep putting it off, something or someone else will always come up that will make it more difficult to leave home. So, I'm just going to jump and go for it.  Even if I end up broke in the end (which is highly likely), it will all be worth it. I know I'll look back with no regrets. And hey, traveling abroad solo looks good on a resume, right? :)