Why I Travel

I've been thinking a lot about the "why" around travel for the past couple of weeks.  Scott from Travel Codex wrote an extremely emotional post about travel, life, and losing his father which really struck a chord with me.  I really enjoy his writing and was so sad to hear about his dad.

I started writing this blog to share my experiences around travel with family and friends.  Over the past couple of years, it's become more than that - more and more strangers are reading everyday.  While I purposefully write about the journey and not the destination, I wanted to share a bit of my thoughts around why I travel.

It is so easy to get caught up planning the next trip, trying to score an upgrade, or find the perfect award that sometimes we miss the purpose of travel...which is ultimately the destination.  Exploring a new place, culture, and meeting new people.

Eating street food in Taipei

It still amazes me that I can be home in Denver one day and on the other side of the planet the next.  Seeing things with my own eyes that others only read about in books.  And being able to do so in style/comfort makes it even more appealing.  It doesn't hurt that I actually love flying, planes, and airports.

Exploring the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

I'm not sure I would travel internationally (and I didn't prior to figuring out this game) as much if the journey seemed like a chore vs. something I really enjoy.  Even if that means taking a bit of a circuoitus routing.

Beyond that, I'm not sure I'd travel as much if I had to do it alone.  While, I'm going to give it a try in 2016, that is more an exercise in stretching my own comfort zone and trying something new.

Sushi in Paris

Over the last 4 years, Emily and I have flown nearly 200,000 miles together.  We've visited 17 countries on 3 continents.  We've seen countless sunrises, sunsets, and stars from vantage points across the globe.  We've eaten dinner on the beach in Thailand and at one of the most famous hotels in the world.

Hong Kong - our favorite city in the world

And we've done it all together.  And that is why we both love it so much.  We have thousands of pictures and scores of souvenirs from our travels.  But the most important thing we have are memories and stories that we'll be telling each other and reminiscing about for years.

Thank you Scott for reminding me why we do this.  Why it is part of us, and why we should do it with someone we love.