By Justine Murray
Travel has always been a part of our history. The Native Americans travelled from China across the Barring Strait to America where they later migrated throughout both North and South America. The Vikings crossed many seas—coming from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Alexander the Great and Marco Polo both traveled across Europe and Asia. Historically, it was always with a purpose: to discover new lands, to find riches, and to earn fame. Presently, travel is for an entirely different reason. Perhaps we have discovered everything worth discovering (geographically speaking). We are left with a world for personal discovery. People travel for amusement, for experience, or for knowledge. It can be quite enjoyable to visit famous places, such as Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Versailles, the Colosseum, the Acropolis, and many other wonders. Seeing the history behind these places is spectacular. Travel is the best way to soak up the past. Traveling to another country is very eye-opening. You get to experience first-hand how people are. Their everyday lives are worlds apart from yours. You can soak up their rich culture through history, cuisine, landmarks, and socializing. Learning a new language is almost inevitable whether for survival or educational purposes. Language acquisition can be a wonderful tool that you use daily. Every language is linked in one way or another, so learning a little of a second one can make you see those relations even more clearly.
It isn’t always clear why people travel. There are many reasons beyond the simple ‘for school,’ ‘for experience,’ or for ‘fun.’ It is exhilarating being somewhere new and strange. Wanderlust has always consumed humanity and it always will: “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
Image: Australia via Creative Commons