The Reasons That We Travel

You may only associate travel with gap year students who are still finding their way in the world. However, backpacking and hostel hopping is not the only reason people jump on the next flight out and don’t come back until they are satisfied they’ve seen enough, even if enough is always one more trip. 

These reasons are plentiful, and they can range from the familial to the medical; the curious to the ambitious. It’s not just about finding yourself, though. It’s not just about the perfect photo op for the ‘Gram at sunrise. So, here are all the reasons that we travel. 

For Medical Treatment 

Medical tourism is not a new thing. People have been doing it for years, especially considering that some countries have cheaper medical treatment compared to others. You can look into cosmetic surgery or find a dentist to fit and care for veneers before and after treatment. 

This medical tourism can help boost your confidence, but it is also useful for people who want the best possible treatment that may not be available in your home country. If you can afford the flight and the time off work for recovery, it’s easy for you to seek out treatment for a range of issues whether you want to undergo treatment or book yourself in for surgery that could take a long time if you stayed at home.

To Find Yourself

A lot of people go travelling to find themselves. Typically, it’s backpacking through Southeast Asia, although South America is becoming increasingly popular. Often, it’s their first taste of freedom after leaving home, and it helps them experiment with what they love about themselves and the world. 

Finding yourself while travelling is nothing new, and while there is the insufferably cliche of people coming back with dreadlocks, ankle tattoos, and baggy trousers, it’s still something to admire. The desire to find yourself can be what creates the travel itch, and it can help ignite the passion for travel that so many people discover.

For a Brand New Start

A lot of people love their hometown, but it’s likely the same number also despise it. It’s easy to feel stuck in a rut, and like you’re spinning your wheels. You don’t want to move to a new city halfway across the country, though. You want to experience something completely different somewhere else. 

Packing your life away and travelling to a brand new country to start a new life, whether you want to emulate Hunter S. Thompson, sipping rum and writing on Cuban beaches, or going the TEFL route in Thailand or Vietnam. With businesses becoming increasingly global, there’s also the option to transfer to another country while still being employed by your current company. 

To Appease Our Curiosity

Humans are naturally curious. We see photographs online or landscapes in movies, and we want to be there. This curiosity can be what drives us to travel, and it’s the consistent mysteries of the world that keep us going. 

From the pyramids of Egypt to the dense jungles of the Amazon, there is always something new waiting for you to discover it. You may only want to see one thing here or another there, but you might also find that just these wonders are not enough, and you won’t feel satisfied until you’ve seen as much as you can. 

To Catch Up With Friends and Family

Traveling isn’t just about sipping cocktails on the beach or hiking up ancient ruins to catch the sunset at the top of a mountain. Many people will also pack their life into a backpack to catch up with friends and family. 

If your friends live on the other side of the world, then taking a trip to see them won’t just be a pleasant surprise, it will also give you the chance to scratch your travelling itch. If you live close enough to one another that flights are cheap, you can make a weekend of it, which shouldn’t disrupt your working life too much. 

To See What All The Fuss Is About

Seeing pictures and videos posted by your favorite travel bloggers is fun, but after a while, living vicariously is not enough. You want to see it all for yourself, and this is what drives people to book a one-way flight to see what all the fuss is about.