Why I Travel

Life is a daring adventure or nothing.

Invariably during the year, and must often in the midst of cold winters during the school year, a basic sensation floods my being. It’s the desire, maybe even a deep innate need, to travel and simply move. This impulse doesn’t require a year-long trip, let’s not be greedy, but it must place me in new surrounds that alert my senses with a divergence from the daily grind momentarily. Referring back to Helen Keller’s quote, “life is a daring adventure or nothing”. That is a reason why I travel.

Some recent studies have highlighted particular individual’s genetic disposition to travel. I would happily self diagnosis to having this genetic disposition. One does have to read these studies pragmatically as one the promoters of the research is the one and only Lonely Planet, the largest publisher of guidebooks in the world. Yet I do think that there may be some truth to this theory.

The Formative Travel Years

It began as a kid. The trips of my youth included road trips across Texas from Odessa to Longview to see Grandma White. Life got a bit more adventurous when we left the northern border for Oklahoma to see Grandpa Tower in Tulsa. On the rare occasion, we would fly to see my Mom’s extended Tower family in New York.

However one summer, I traveled with my best friend Junior to remote lands. The drive from Texas to Minnesota lasted three days cutting across the heart of the American Midwest. Each day introduced new states, a gradual change in geography, and contrast to my reality.

Over the years, my relationship with travel has gradually grown more intense. Those early family trips in a station wagon led to week-long basketball camps at Syracuse University by myself. As an undergraduate at the University of Tulsa, solo weeklong trips morphed into service trips in Guatemala and extended backpacking trips across Europe with friends.

One study abroad was not enough. I studied abroad in Argentina, France, Quebec, and Mexico.

Eventually, as a volunteer with the Congregation of Christian Brothers in Peru, Andrew Noethe’s extended trip around the globe inspired our year-long trip around the globe.

Is There a Cure?

I’ve got the travel bug . . . bad. I believe I may have infected others. I firmly encourage students to take part in their own educational trips.

As a married adult, Nadine and I want to give our family the same unique life experiences provide with travel. We moved our two beautiful kids the Cayman Islands for three years. We came back with four. Honestly, if it wasn’t our travels to islands, we may not even have kids yet.

Nomadic tendencies are not uncommon in my family. My Uncle Bill has traveled the world extensively, often on a cruise ship departing Florida. Uncle Pete lived in China before it was cool. Avid travelers are not uncommon on my Mom’s side of the family.

The Ease of Travel

Historically, travel was a luxury enjoyed by few. Only the wealthiest left the confines of their homes, much less their country. If one were able to travel, preparations were tedious and risks serious. The Italian merchant Marco Polo faced his share of challenges. European explorers never returned. The feisty British explorer Percy Fawcett never exited the Amazonian jungle in the 20th century in search of El Dorado.

Travel can be dangerous, but in the 21st century, global travel can be effortless with less risks. It’s as simple as opening a laptop computer, select a destination from an array of colorful digital photos, enter 16 magical numbers from a credit card, and show up at the airport. Twelve easy hours later, you find yourself in a land of new languages, foods, and smells.

Valued Added

On a deeper level, I feel travel still forces the traveler to step outside one’s comfort zone, and one simple step can lead to discoveries. It can be your best self. An appreciation for others. I highly value the act of visiting those new lands, meeting those new people, hearing those new languages. Travel facilitates more intimate interactions with humanity and the greater world. It has taught me that I am part of the greater good. It may sound odd, but I become more thankful for this life I’ve been gifted. I appreciate my family, friends, and colleagues more.

Many times when I read or watch a news story, I’m vested in some manner. If I’ve spent time in that spot, connected with the people on a personal level, and engaged in daily life where events are unfolding, I’m super vested and more apt to act in an altruistic way. Travel “opens up my world”. If I had spent my entire life in the same city or state, it would be easy to generalize the “other”, especially if they looked and talked differently than me. It would be easy to label them as “other”, “dangerous”, or “weird”. However, once you tread on foreign soil, the myriad of similarities become clear. These experiences would make it difficult to incorrectly call El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras “Three Mexican countries.”

Culture, Food, People

As an educator, I appreciate learning, but like most youth, I prefer to learn experientially, not confined and seated inside four mundane walls. I’ve learned more about history from my travels than my AP courses at Odessa High School. A country’s culture, clothing, food, sports, and people weave seamlessly into daily life. Through extended exposure to another country, one subtly observes the illusive differences.

I’ve discovered that no single food surpasses Italian food . . . yet. French, Thai, Peruvian, and Tex-Mex are great and give it a run for its money, but Italian food is unsurpassed. The same can be said for Belgian beer. Mind you, I’m not closed-minded and will test any beer you offer me, but it’s going to be quite an uphill battle to dethrone Belgian beers. But like I said, I’m willing to give any beer a proper chance.

In the end, traveling has made me more open-minded, flexible, and aware as a Texan and given a proper perspective of how great life is with my family and friends.