the what

trav·el [ˈtravəl]
v. make a journey, typically of some length or abroad.
v. go or be moved from place to place

Beyond the multiple dictionary definitions of the word travel, we each have our own perception of the word - what it means in practice, experience, and how one views the world.

For many years I believed all “real” travel to be international. This seems to be a fairly pervasive assumption, given the presence of the qualifying term “abroad” in the dictionary definition. I have since realized how ridiculous that notion is. Being a resident of the United States, one of the larger countries in the world (geographically speaking), I not only have a wide variety of cities and natural vistas to appreciate, but also a plethora of sub-cultures with which I have absolutely no experience. Each region, state, city, or neighborhood within a city, can have its own distinctive flavor. And this is, of course, true in most every country, regardless of its size.

Another opinion I had about travel centers around the second definition – physically moving yourself from one country to another. If you did that, you were traveling. You were getting all the mind-opening benefits of travel, learning about other people and how they live, seeing that we are not all the same and that’s what makes the world such an interesting place. To me, these were the most important components of travel, and they happened automatically when you left home. I have discarded that belief as well. It’s completely possible to travel all the way to the other side of the world and not really change how you perceive or think about anything. I know, because I’ve done it. It all depends on the individual and how they choose to experience the fact that they are physically located in a new and different place. Just being there isn’t enough. It’s far too easy to allow your views to shape the world around you instead of really experiencing it.