I'm not sure when I realized I was in love with travel. My family has always been the adventurous type, and our vacations were always a little out of the ordinary, a little more physically strenuous, than the trips my friends from school were taking.
Most recently my family (Mom, Dad, brother and sister-in-law) went to Alaska for two full weeks to try our hand at a couple new things, sea kayaking and backpacking. We've done many, many canoe & camping trips together, so we figured this should translate well but still be a good adventure for all of us. When I was there, I realized a few things that made me want to start writing about all of these experiences:
No matter how far you are from home, you can escape yourself. Being good with who you really are inside is the only way to truly enjoy an experience away from home. That way, it's not an escape from reality--it's part of your reality.
People are the same everywhere. Sure, different cultures dress differently and value slightly different things. Perhaps people react differently to specific situations. But at the root of it, kids still laugh at the same things in any language. People smile when they're happy, frown when they're angry or confused.
These places, these experiences, these weeks outside my comfort zone, have had a huge part in shaping who I am. Since the very first family vacation I can remember, poking around in the mud with a stick or whatever I did when I was 4, being in the fresh air somewhere out of the ordinary has sparked my imagination and made me feel like I can do anything - go anywhere.
Do you have any advice about using travel to sort out things at home? Or, can you think of a time when traveling made you feel more at home than anything else? I'd love to hear from you!
Until next time...
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