Why We Travel

The very first line of Pico Iyer’s essay really resonated with me. Although it sounds kind of cliché, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves” (1). I find so much truth in this sentence. I am lucky enough to be able to travel and usually it is some sort of vacation. A vacation to “lose” ourselves—to get away from everyday life. Traveling, no matter where you go, is an opportunity to escape the realities of your job, school, or any responsibilities. But it also is a way that we “find” ourselves. I may not initially travel to find myself, but it inherently happens. When I experience a new country I can see how their culture differs from mine, firsthand. And when comparing our cultures I can see either how blessed I am or start to question some of my ways of life. I start to open my mind and live in the moment, instead of waiting for the next deadline or holiday.

Another line that resonated with me was “Traveling is a way to reverse time, to a small extent, and make a day last a year” (2). When I travel I can remember almost every day of my vacation. When I am home I get into such a lull and repetitive schedule, sometimes the days blur into weeks—nothing stands out. But when you visit somewhere new, everything you do is an adventure and in one day I can feel I experienced more than I have in a whole year.

Finally, the line “..all travel is a two way transaction, as we too easily forget”(3) really stood out to me. When I travel somewhere I usually am going to learn and observe another person’s culture. But I forget that the people native to the culture are observing me as well. I am too busy wondering why they do something that I fail to realize they are probably questioning my actions as well. I am fortunate enough to be able to travel and see other parts of the world and many people are not. When we visit another country, we may be their one experience of America.