At work the other week, we were talking about travelling and other places in the world. I was talking about how much I enjoy travelling, how it allows you to experience things you can’t normally experience in your local city. It surprised me when one of my coworkers felt that he could have all of the experiences without leaving Chicago. I gave a few examples of things I have seen that I cannot find a parallel in Chicago, such as Namdaemun Market, Akihabara, or Temple Street Market. Not even to mention the experiences of food and architecture. I think it almost a waste not to travel and see the world if it is possible in your life. Some of the most beneficial experiences and moments of my life have been while travelling.
Traveling, I have been able to see palaces and giant street markets, eat interesting foods, and experience beautiful sights. Most of these unique or regional. And there are countless other places to see, foods to try, and things to try out. I want to see Potala Palace, try eating pasta in Tuscany, and climb to the top of Kilimanjaro. Just to once experience waking up right off of a beach in Bora Bora or see the hanami (next March!) is priceless.
To me, travelling has been very beneficial in allowing me to see different parts of the world and understanding other cultures (it probably doesn’t hurt that my wife is foreign). It has allowed for me to see things like how the US is not that amazing yet that not many other countries have it right. It has let me experience the difference in how cultures treat other people (both domestic and foreign). The values other countries have (Japan values hard work, Hong Kong values making money). I hope to continue to experience all of these different areas of the world (the world is not limited to Chicago or the Midwest). I also have been able to see and experience some very beautiful and breath taking sights and hope to see more (and hopefully capture some of the scene).
Life is just too short to spend it all in one small area of the world. And it is really too precious to not spend it on some adventures. I feel this strong enough to have living abroad as a major goal in my life. I have a long list of places I would like to see, this list won’t be getting any shorter for a long time. But that is what continues to motivate me to work for. Maybe at some point, I will write a list of the places/things I want to see/experience in my travels. It would end up being pretty long.