Why do I love traveling so much?

I have traveled a lot this summer, and I mean a lot.  I was gone for 37 days out of the last 66.  Wow.

June: 16 days

July: 17 days

August: 4 days

My travels included one looooong road trip to Florida and back, two flights, three train rides, 2 bus rides, many rides on the NYC subway, and much walking and exploring.  I visited many loved ones and old friends (made new friends too), saw amazing historical sights, and did some shopping for sunglasses.  :)  I had a wonderful time!  

Why do I love traveling so much?  I did a great deal of reflecting on this on my last trip of the summer this past weekend. I am realizing that traveling does amazing things to my soul.  I find myself reenergized and renewed, full of the courage to challenge myself.  To challenge myself to look at my life differently, to look at myself differently, to see more of who I really am and who I want to become.  I have the energy and courage to change things in my life that desperately need changing.  

What is it about traveling that does this?

1. Traveling takes me out of myself.  It has its own rhythm that is different than everyday schedules; and I have experiences that help me discover my flaws and my strengths in varying situations.
2. Adventure.  Everyday holds the promise of new things to see, people to encounter, people to be with, conversations and experiences to have, new history to learn, and art and architecture to see.  I thrive on adventures and new things.
3. People.  The people I spend time with on my travels make the experience for me.  I discovered this last summer when I traveled by myself for 5 days around Northern Italy.  It was just not as fun.  There was no one to talk to, no one to share things with, no one to  be silent with, no one to be with.  It ended up as a kind of retreat for me (which was good), but not nearly as fun as all my other travels with people.  I must be an  extrovert, no big surprises there. :)
• My grandparents: I spend 5 days with my grandparents in Florida on their sailboat.  It was wonderful to spend time with just the three of us.  We've never had the opportunity to be together one on one.  It was AMAZING.  They are both very good story tellers (I, sadly, did not inherit their Irish gift of story telling) and full of wisdom about life.
• My uncles, aunts and cousins.  I visited family in Boston and New Jersey and it was wonderful to see them and get to know them better!
• Friends, old and new.  Friendship is an amazing thing.  Visiting and talking with old friends and new makes my world expand.  Seeing others striving to be the best that they can be and to do the will of God gives me hope and challenges me to do the same.  
4. Eating new food.  I love food.  I tried many different kinds of food, coffee, and desserts on this trip.  Good food for the body is indeed food for the soul.  

How do I go back to school and regular life in two weeks? I am ready.  I am tweaking how I live my life to become the best-version-of-myself, to implement the reflections from travel and resolutions I have made to live life better.  Traveling inspires me. :)

Traveling lends perspective to life.   Being humbled is good for the soul. (Image via Verily Magazine)