Bon Voyage

By: Faith Tueller, Travel Enthusiast

Anyone else ready for a vacation right about now? I definitely am! No doubt about it, we all love to escape our own worlds, whether it's driving to a different state, booking a flight across the globe, or simply blocking out the world in your own home; sometimes everyone needs to step away. Why does it seem everyone has an obsession with escaping?

The hype of doing nothing: You may just need time off from your job or school, so you lock all the doors and build a fort with your kids, eating away all the stresses life brings. My family enjoys many stay-cations, as we like to call them, and they couldn’tbe more fun! Getting away from the stresses of life is too good of an opportunity to pass up. It’s so ironichow we tend to put in so much effort for the joy of blissful boredom. From booking a flight or driving an insane amount of hours to struggling with luggage and booking a hotel, the long-awaited feeling of meditation and relaxation is worth it.

Technological advances have allowed for this effort to be somewhat simpler which makes for a happier bunch of people and more time to relax. Not only has technology helped in the lazy factor (we all know it’s true we love to be lazy on vacations), but it also has made it insanely easy for people to somewhat transport themselves as they learn about different cultures from their own little corner of the world. To me, this is one of the most marvelous things our world has to offer - for those without the means or want to leave their own corners of the world. But if you’re like me, that isn’t enough. Simply standing back and learning from afar doesn’t quite quench that desire to be immersed in such fascinating new lifestyles. From the food and clothing, to the language, dance, and historical backgrounds of every family and every individual, I don’t know if I could ever get enough.

The need for new: People LOVE to travel. They may be bored of their house, of people, or their job. Whatever the reason, many people can’t wait to soak in the rush of adrenaline that comes from trying new things or experiencing a different way of life. Even simply vacationing to the south versus the east coast has a sense of freshness that livens up the experience. The want for people to be a part of a new culture and discover a new way of life is so vastly accomplished in today’s society. The term, “it’s a small world,” couldn’t be more wrong in this context due to the infinite lifetimes a person could spend learning and experiencing everything there is to be taken in about our world and the people in it. For me that’s what makes it so exciting!

Although my list of places traveled doesn’t include many outside of the U.S., I’ve experienced some incredible things on my side of the world, learning my country's history, exploring its many landscapes from Niagara Falls to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, down to the flats of the South, and the coasts with an ocean view. I’m always proud to be an American, but I can’t wait to be able to add so many other places and people to my list of things that I have been so blessed to come across in my life.

Service: Speaking of being blessed, I believe the most honorable reason people want to travel is to serve. It is my absolute dream to be able to help those who are unable to help themselves and be immersed in other societies, meeting new people, and discovering further the beauty of our world in the selfless acts of humans all around the world.

Whatever your reasoning, sometimes we all need to leave it all behind.