Why do people travel? I recently noticed that people have various reasons to travel. It’s not only just because people wanna travel to a hotter climate zone and lay on the beach. Almost everything can be a proper reason for someone. This post will sum up funny, absurd and serious travel reasons for you!
1. Finally done with school or college!
Let’s start with a very common travel reason.
It’s obvious, that many people use this occasion to travel the world. I’m going to do the same this year.
Why should you start working directly after school? Life is long enough! Nobody cares about one “lost” year, which teaches you even more important stuff than school.
In addition, once you’ve got a job you don’t want to quit it after a certain time – especially not if the job position is amazing. This might not be worth it.
On the other hand, lots of people are waiting years for the sabbatical. If you’re a patient person, you’re good to go. But if you’re like me, you rather travel after school.
In the end, this one of all travel reasons is the most plausible.
2. I just wanna forge my own path!
Connecting to the last travel reason, after graduation people wanna take their own path.
Let’s be honest – one of the real skills you learn while traveling is independence.
Far away from mommy, daddy, family, and friends – you have to cope with every single situation on your own (or with travel buddies or partner).
For example: What would you do, if it was 6pm and you’re still looking for a place to stay? The hostels, homestays, and hotels are all fully booked, because there was a public holiday. You have to find a solution – so, what would you do? Burst out in tears? Take your sleeping bag and crash in a random place? Or take the next train, bus or flight to go back home? If you were unable to find a proper solution, you should just pack your bag right now, travel and learn!
3. I just wanna be free!
Traveling and freedom – a perfect match supposedly. Everyone, who travels, feels free. Wide nature, standing on top of a mountain with a panoramic view, free time management… Good travel reasons to take the next airplane!
Far away from all the daily stress and pressure, life seems to be so much easier.
However, you know, that travel does not mean infinite freedom, when you have a look at your bank balance. There is an unfortunate end of the freedom…
Besides that, looking at all travel reasons this one is one of the best. Releasing yourself from the normal life and discover new sides of yourself and/or your travel buddy.
Just following my slogan: Unbridle yourself!
4. Fuck off heartbreak – I just wanna get away!
Unrequited love, dumped, cheated on – whatever!
Heartache is one of the negative travel reasons, but people still do it a lot. They pack their bags faster than someone can say “heartache”. The hope is the last to die with the belief of an easier life with just a bit local distance.
I know things get clearer with distance, but can you really run away from problems?
5. I just wanna outpace everything!
A breakup is not the only reason, why people turn their back on everything. A Molotov cocktail of a lot of events in the past could lead people to satisfy their wanderlust.
I am not a psychologist, but I’m pretty sure, that this shouldn’t be your travel reason. So – please – pick another one of my list! 😉
6. I got fired!
Lost the job? Maybe not one of the best travel reasons. Or is it though?
Sometimes you have to be forced by the universe to achieve happiness.
And if you haven’t got enough money, the only helpful thing would be…
7. Living on the edge
Well, we just live in a prosperity, which we don’t see or just see by traveling. We don’t really need all the stuff, we have at home. It’s just luxury and a construct in our heads – called consumerism. We don’t even see the basic needs anymore, because we care about luxury needs.
When you travel, it does not need to be a 4* hotel. Why not staying with locals? Why not cooking by yourself? Traveling doesn’t need to be highly expensive. Well, if you wanna do all the tourist stuff, it will be expensive. If you change your thinking about traveling a bit, it can be just as expensive as a month in your hometown, or even cheaper. It just depends on what type of traveler you are.
A life on the edge can simplify a lot as well, because you are confronting your fears and concerns.
It’s not just the financial part, but also activities or situations, which sound dangerous at first. Once you faced those, you may be happy, that you confronted your fears, perspective, and perception. Mostly it’s just a mental construct, which stops you from having fun in a different way because things are ingrained in your head. I hope I don’t have to point out that I don’t speak about real lethal situations. In those cases, fear is an important protection.
8. Damn, I am old!
The timeless classic! Birthdays are always the rabbit punches of life to tell you how old you are.
Thoughts like: “Damn, again one year older?! My bucket list is just getting longer than shorter. It’s time to get to work on it!”
These or similar thoughts were probably in all our heads at least once.
I had this feeling last year, when I reached a quarter century. This was probably enough of a trigger to travel more and for a longer time. To clarify here: I love my birthdays! But I don’t like to count the years. So I just call it 25A instead of 26, and next year it will be 25B. Less pressure and more time to do all the stuff, you wanna do! 😉
9. I saw a backpacker, train, bus or plane…
In Berlin, the likelihood is very high to see one of these 4 (or all together) on a daily basis.
The backpacker in the underground station: To whom I’d like to say so often “Wait here for like one hour! I just pack my backpack quickly and join you!”
Or the airplanes: I can see these from my balcony in minute intervals! It’s difficult to avoid the wanderlust with this circumstance. Sometimes I even catch myself in looking for flights after I saw a plane… Maybe a strange marketing strategy and the reason, why these planes are flying over the city??!!
10. I am pissed off with the unauthentic food!
Today we can choose what we want to eat. It can be Chinese, Indian, Turkish, Greek, Italian and so forth. However, it just tastes much better in the certain country.
Even if the global trade and the globalization provide us the culinary delights right up to the front door, it’s not the same. The spices and ingredients are not as good as in the country itself, because they have to be shipped, the restaurants rarely get the particular spices here or they adjusted the menu to our kitchen already.
For these reasons I’d wish sometimes, that teleportation was discovered already. Then every dinner would be superb. Tonight some Czech goulash? Then let’s go to Prague!
So why not traveling for an authentic food experience once in a while?
11. I am just pure envy
Do you know the feeling as well, when a friend tells you with gleaming eyes about his/her last journey? You’re just thinking or even speak it out loud: “Damn, I’m so envious!”
Why letting the feeling elapse? Just use it as an inspiration instead of reacting passive-aggressive. No more excuses, why you can’t do this! Swing yourself inside the next airplane and off you go! So, use your envy, not as something negative, but positive!
12. I’ve recently watched a report, documentary or review…
… about a place I wanna see as well.
You’re watching something on TV or online and you’re instantly inspired. You’re thinking “I have to see this, too! HELL YEAH, I REALLY HAVE TO SEE THIS!” Have you had such moments before? It would surprise me, f you haven’t!
I also have to admit, that I love documentaries and reports. Especially about the marine life. Such movies added like 20 destinations to my bucket list.
Movies are just a very wonderful way to get inspired and generate new travel reasons. Only one last step is missing: Action – just do it!
13. Trump gets elected
Speaking to the US citizen: I would definitely take it as a travel reason, f Trump is the next president! Just leave the country as long as you can! I’m from Berlin, I know what a wall means! 😉
In other countries are some political tensions as well… When I look at the development in Germany and Europe it’s just as ridiculous and scary as it is in the US.
14. I wanna get to know new cultures
In Germany, we have lots of different cultures, but it is not as on travels. The german culture is of course in the center of everything here. It’s similar to other countries of course. In my opinion (especially in “Western societies”) everyone should learn, what ethnocentrism is today. The own culture is not the center of the world and your way of thinking does not necessarily be correct. Such things are mostly experienced when people travel to or live in different countries for a while. Going outside of the resort or hotel and connect with the locals can help gaining this important attitude as well.
We wanna live together in a peaceful way, right? Well, then we have to be able to engage with other lifestyles, cultures and not see our own as superb.
15. I wanna learn other languages!
Rosetta Stone or babbel.com might be helpful, but honestly you’re not learning a language without the real interaction – unless you’re Sheldon Cooper. The best way to learn a language is the method of language immersion. You will learn much faster, when you are surrounded by ONLY this language. It won’t give you the possibility to yield to your native language and you will build up a broad vocabulary very quickly.
So, online programs are a nice start, but then bathe in the language! I guess, I don’t need to explain the importance of the knowledge of other languages for work and travel, because English is not the only language.
16. I wanna have more challenges and adventures than on my couch at home!
The normal day mostly doesn’t offer a lot of challenges and adventures.
In big cities you can rarely climb mountains, nor there are other challenges.
The only challenge might be the decision, if you take the train or the bus. Or if you have a burger or pasta for lunch. Of course, these are really hard decisions to make, but it’s all about first world problems. What about basic needs and decisions?
What about being active and exploring the nature?
That’s why this reason is one of my favorite travel reasons. New challenges and adventures, which you can only find while traveling and unfortunately not in big cities like Berlin.
17. I am not up to the conventional work anymore!
Why traveling for a short vacation once a year, when you can find a niche or work which allows you to travel for a long term? Or in other words: Why are we not earning money with something that makes fun?! Today everything is possible!
By the way: This is also one of my favorite travel reasons.
Work and vacation: Workation!
Schedule your working time by yourself.
Sunny day outside? Well, then enjoy it and work over midday heat or at the evening.
Rainy day? Well, then work the whole day and be productive.
No fixed times from 9 to 5.
Some people can already live this flexible way. I still have to work for it though.
