Why?

Most of my posts between now and when we leave come from questions that we get a lot from friends, family, and strangers when we tell them we are going to sell everything we own and travel. I'll try to post them in a somewhat logical order.

"Why would you want to travel for that long?" Some form of this question is common. We also hear, "What will you do for all that time?" The question reveals a bit about the personality of the asker (and my next post will be about how different people travel), but the question of why seems a good one to ask before taking an extended trip.

For me, two reasons come to mind: 1.) The world is an amazing place, and I learn a lot about people, nature, and myself whenever I travel; and 2.) Why not?

I don't often reflect on why I travel--it just seems so natural to me to go other places. The more places that I go, the more that I learn. It might be how trees grow in a rainforest or it might be how people in Tunisia think about America, but always insightful. And surprisingly useful in everyday life.

The second, more rhetorical reason, comes down to why do people spend their days doing most things. Why eat a particular food? Why work in a particular job? Why marry a certain person? Probably because it makes the person happy or out of necessity. Those are the same reasons I feel compelled to travel.

Tara may have her own reasons. We'll see what she posts. In the meantime, why do you travel?