20 Simple Reasons Why People Travel
Just what do we mean by travel? Its the movement of people or objects such as airplanes, boats, trains, and cars. It also includes motorcycles and other conveyances between geographical locations. That’s considered travel and there are lots of reasons why people travel.
The locations people travel to could be relatively close or far away in distance. A daily commute is also travel, but usually when one considers travel they mean much further distances. However, there is such a thing as a staycation. That’s really short travel, often on a weekend or holiday. It’s like taking a short vacation, which is usually done somewhere away from home, but not too far away.
Why do people travel?
- getting away to appreciating your life
- to open your mind to new experiences and places
- tourism or vacationing
- relaxing and rejuvenating
- research travel for the gathering of information
- discovery and exploration
- recreation
- your business partner lives in another country, you must go meet her
- pleasure or relaxiation
- holiday travel to visit people
- volunteer travel for charity
- business travel
- to obtain health care (i.e. U.S. citizens go to Mexico because health care and medicines are cheaper)
- fleeing country or area because of war
- just for the sheer enjoyment of traveling
- for migration to begin life anew somewhere else
- religious pilgrimages (often once a year for some religions)
- to experience something unfamiliar
- as a side trip if stationed in the military
- you live next to the border of another country, its easy to travel there
The How and Why of Travel
Travel may occur by walking or bicycling. It could be in cabs, or in vehicles such as public transportation. A popular way in the US is by car. So cars, buses, trains and airplanes are also very common ways to travel. Your travels can be local, regional, national (domestic) or international.
Your travels may be part of a round-trip, in whereby a person goes from one location to another and returns. Or it could be a one-way trip. For example, when I went into the Army I flew from Southern California to Kentucky. That was a one-way trip since I remained there for about three years.
It could also be a one-way trip going or coming and use another method of travel the opposite direction. An example of that was when I drove cross country from Los Angeles to St. Louis Missouri with relatives. Later I had to fly back home to California since the rest of the gang stayed there another week or so.
A similar example of this would be when I flew from California to Missouri last year and drove back home to Lake Elsinore California in a car.
Different Countries have Different Passport & Visa Rules
In some countries, non-local internal travel may require an internal passport, while international travel typically requires a passport and visa. In some instances you must have valid passports for at least six months after you leave the country you are traveling to.
An example of this is in certain countries in Africa like Tanzania. Also depending on where you live and where you are traveling to, there may be a requirement for one or more vaccinations or shots to prevent you from catching certain diseases like malaria. You need to think of this sometimes months before you travel.
When going on my first African Safari I needed a certain vaccination. But I also needed the second one in the series six months later, before I could leave for the safari.
So be sure to check months ahead if going to certain countries so you can be prepared for multiple shots, months apart, if necessary. By the way such shots can be rather expensive.
I remember I paid almost $300 for shots before going to Africa. Sometimes your health insurance doesn’t cover all your shots or they cannot be scheduled in time.
Even common shots like for Malaria can be very expensive so be prepared for vaccination shot price shock.
Sometimes when going extremely long distances such as on a train or plane you will need to sleep while traveling. Of course if you are on a long cruise on a ship you know and expect to sleep on the boat during your cruise.
That’s depending on which direction you are going. Long trips on a plane crossing several time zones sometimes will cause a person to develop jet lag.
What’s Your Reason for Wanting to Travel?
The reasons why people love to travel are quite varied, and often very personal. Almost certainly everyone has wanted to travel somewhere at one time or another. Haven’t you? Sometimes just hearing about a place is enough to make you wish you could visit there.
You could watch a TV show or the movies and see places you’d love to visit. Whatever the reason, and these are just some of the reasons why people travel, it’s great to getaway once in a while..
