Shannon Rieke
Mrs. Boresen
Expos, 6
Essay
2-3-09
Reasons for Traveling
Mrs. Boresen
Expos, 6
Essay
2-3-09
Reasons for Traveling
One of the most exciting and rewarding experiences anyone can have is traveling. “Travel: to go from one place to another; make a journey or journeys; passage or movement of any kind (yourdictionary 1).” Travel can be just driving an hour to another city, or it can be flying to another country. No matter how near or far you’re going, almost any trip can be considered traveling. Even if it’s just going to visit your grandmother, you’re changing your surroundings. By experiencing a place different from where you live, you broaden your view of the world. However, if you don’t know the goal of your travels, it may not impact you as much as it could. People travel for many different reasons, the main ones being for education, business, family, or just for a vacation. By understanding why people travel, you can get the most out of your own trips.
Many travelers’ goal is to learn something. “Travel is not mere recreation…It is not trivia. It is education and perhaps the most important education (Bleiberg 1).” Some people will join tour groups in hopes that the information given will be useful to them. Others set off on their own to discover the everyday side of their destination, not just see the tourist attractions. The hopeful learners may have something specific they would like to know about, or they will just take the knowledge that presents itself. Many people will travel out of the country, as this presents many opportunities, such as foreign language skills. “…you’ll be practicing languages where they’re spoken (studenttravel.about.com 1). This attitude of wanting to improve your mind can really make your trip worth the effort. Even if it’s visiting a rural town when you live in a big city, being immersed in another culture can be an eye opener. You can see another life that you never would have seen around your home.
Other travelers have work at the center of their trip. Businesses often send out their employees to oversee a task or work on something in their area of expertise. Sometimes these trips are extensive and last weeks. Many people traveling for business, though, are just at their destination for a short time to learn, teach, or work on a short project for their company. However, traveling for business does not mean that the company you work for sent you there. You can travel to help yourself with future careers. “Employers like the look of time spent abroad—travel really does broaden and mature the traveler, and it shows some initiative and resourcefulness on your part (you had to plan how to get there, get around, and pay for it)(studenttravel.about.com 1).” Along with being education based, another business asset can be using a foreign language in your travels, “enabling you to up the level of your proficiency on an employment application (studenttravel.about.com 1).” All of these values of traveling can prove very beneficial later in your career, and not only when you t ravel as part of your job.
One of the most common reasons to travel is to just get away. People travel on vacations mainly to relax and enjoy a break. This relaxation may be through just laying around, which makes tropical destinations popular. Other vacationers focus on sight seeing and enjoying the attractions of their destination. Yet more possibilities include outdoor adventures like rock climbing, snorkeling, or hiking. A lot of travelers seek out warm, pleasant weather in an escape from their climate at home. Golfers flock to areas such as Arizona where the golf courses are more agreeable in the winter months. People looking for a vacation may be more drawn to resort areas with many options for everyone. These are popular trips over spring break or times when families are off work and out of school. Because of the convenience it offers, many people chose to go on a cruise. A cruise lays out all of your options in the space of the ship, so you don’t have to worry about finding where it is that you want to go. It takes renting a car or finding transportation and learning street names out of your trip entirely. These mobile resorts can be a great option. Another option for vacationing is a road trip. This allows the traveler to experience not just their destination, but also to see everything along the way. These make for some of the most memorable trips, especially when several people are part of it. Some road trips are well planned, with scheduled stops and mapped out routes. Others are less planned and are intended to be somewhat random and spur of the moment. While road trips may take longer because of drive-time, they are definitely a great way to travel.
You often hear people say they are going somewhere to visit family. Many occasions can call for a trip home. Some are pleasant, some are planned, and some are unplanned. You may plan a visit over a holiday or a long weekend, just to catch up with everyone. Some families have regular reunions to bring the majority of the family together at the same time. This can be good because it brings the family from everywhere, no matter how far away they live. However, it can be inconvenient if the timing doesn’t work well. Also, it may not allow for one on one conversation with everyone there. Having a majority of the family present does make it much more fun; more people will be able to share the jokes and the memories. These mutual memories can later be conversation topics among the family, allowing everyone to relive the event and the atmosphere. Occasions such as weddings or birthdays may also bring a family together. Celebrations provide a cheery atmosphere for everyone attending, as well as the hosts. These events can also be a great marker for the last time you were there, since you can remember it as your uncle’s 40th birthday more easily than you can remember last June or two years ago this September. Less happy events like funerals and family emergencies are yet another category of motives. Though they may be shorter or less exotic, visiting family is a great reason to travel.
When you visit somewhere, you always have a particular reason for it. Nearly every trip’s purpose has to do with business, education, family, or a vacation, and every trip can be gratifying. You can always get something out of your travels to make it worth everything you have to put into it. For whatever the reason, any type of travel can change you for the better. “The best reason to travel is not to discover new places; it is to discover what you would become after being affected by your destination (global-culture.org 1).” Traveling is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and deciding what kind of trip you want to take can make it even better. The more you expect to gain from traveling, the more you will.
Works Cited
"Best reasons to travel |." Global Culture. 26 Jan. 2009.
Many travelers’ goal is to learn something. “Travel is not mere recreation…It is not trivia. It is education and perhaps the most important education (Bleiberg 1).” Some people will join tour groups in hopes that the information given will be useful to them. Others set off on their own to discover the everyday side of their destination, not just see the tourist attractions. The hopeful learners may have something specific they would like to know about, or they will just take the knowledge that presents itself. Many people will travel out of the country, as this presents many opportunities, such as foreign language skills. “…you’ll be practicing languages where they’re spoken (studenttravel.about.com 1). This attitude of wanting to improve your mind can really make your trip worth the effort. Even if it’s visiting a rural town when you live in a big city, being immersed in another culture can be an eye opener. You can see another life that you never would have seen around your home.
Other travelers have work at the center of their trip. Businesses often send out their employees to oversee a task or work on something in their area of expertise. Sometimes these trips are extensive and last weeks. Many people traveling for business, though, are just at their destination for a short time to learn, teach, or work on a short project for their company. However, traveling for business does not mean that the company you work for sent you there. You can travel to help yourself with future careers. “Employers like the look of time spent abroad—travel really does broaden and mature the traveler, and it shows some initiative and resourcefulness on your part (you had to plan how to get there, get around, and pay for it)(studenttravel.about.com 1).” Along with being education based, another business asset can be using a foreign language in your travels, “enabling you to up the level of your proficiency on an employment application (studenttravel.about.com 1).” All of these values of traveling can prove very beneficial later in your career, and not only when you t ravel as part of your job.
One of the most common reasons to travel is to just get away. People travel on vacations mainly to relax and enjoy a break. This relaxation may be through just laying around, which makes tropical destinations popular. Other vacationers focus on sight seeing and enjoying the attractions of their destination. Yet more possibilities include outdoor adventures like rock climbing, snorkeling, or hiking. A lot of travelers seek out warm, pleasant weather in an escape from their climate at home. Golfers flock to areas such as Arizona where the golf courses are more agreeable in the winter months. People looking for a vacation may be more drawn to resort areas with many options for everyone. These are popular trips over spring break or times when families are off work and out of school. Because of the convenience it offers, many people chose to go on a cruise. A cruise lays out all of your options in the space of the ship, so you don’t have to worry about finding where it is that you want to go. It takes renting a car or finding transportation and learning street names out of your trip entirely. These mobile resorts can be a great option. Another option for vacationing is a road trip. This allows the traveler to experience not just their destination, but also to see everything along the way. These make for some of the most memorable trips, especially when several people are part of it. Some road trips are well planned, with scheduled stops and mapped out routes. Others are less planned and are intended to be somewhat random and spur of the moment. While road trips may take longer because of drive-time, they are definitely a great way to travel.
You often hear people say they are going somewhere to visit family. Many occasions can call for a trip home. Some are pleasant, some are planned, and some are unplanned. You may plan a visit over a holiday or a long weekend, just to catch up with everyone. Some families have regular reunions to bring the majority of the family together at the same time. This can be good because it brings the family from everywhere, no matter how far away they live. However, it can be inconvenient if the timing doesn’t work well. Also, it may not allow for one on one conversation with everyone there. Having a majority of the family present does make it much more fun; more people will be able to share the jokes and the memories. These mutual memories can later be conversation topics among the family, allowing everyone to relive the event and the atmosphere. Occasions such as weddings or birthdays may also bring a family together. Celebrations provide a cheery atmosphere for everyone attending, as well as the hosts. These events can also be a great marker for the last time you were there, since you can remember it as your uncle’s 40th birthday more easily than you can remember last June or two years ago this September. Less happy events like funerals and family emergencies are yet another category of motives. Though they may be shorter or less exotic, visiting family is a great reason to travel.
When you visit somewhere, you always have a particular reason for it. Nearly every trip’s purpose has to do with business, education, family, or a vacation, and every trip can be gratifying. You can always get something out of your travels to make it worth everything you have to put into it. For whatever the reason, any type of travel can change you for the better. “The best reason to travel is not to discover new places; it is to discover what you would become after being affected by your destination (global-culture.org 1).” Traveling is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and deciding what kind of trip you want to take can make it even better. The more you expect to gain from traveling, the more you will.
Works Cited
"Best reasons to travel |." Global Culture. 26 Jan. 2009
Bleiberg, Larry. "Seven Reasons to Travel." Ww.friendshipforcedallas.org. 5 Jan. 2003. The Dallas Morning News. 26 Jan. 2009 .
Crislip, Kathleen. "Top 5 Reasons to Travel After Graduation - Why You Should Travel After Graduation." Student Travel Guide to Student Travel Planning and Student Travel Tips. 26 Jan. 2009 .
Meere, Kate, ed. The World Travel Guide. London: Columbus Ltd, 2000.
"Travel - Definition of travel at YourDictionary.com." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Free Online at Your Dictionary. 02 Feb. 2009.
"Travel - Definition of travel at YourDictionary.com." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Free Online at Your Dictionary. 02 Feb. 2009
