Discovering why you travel as you go along

Why do you travel? Do you need a reason? Or is it you already have a million reasons?

I recently discovered the website ReasonToWander.com—just as interested in the reason part as much as the wandering part. I have to say, I really liked it, even though (or maybe because) it wasn’t what I expected. It’s actually less about starting out with reasons to travel, and more about discovering reasons as you go along—those beyond-your-wildest-imagination moments that surprise you, reinforce your current trip, and shape your future travels.

The trip that inspired Sloan Schang and Amy Hojnowski to write the blog covered 16 US states and 11 countries over 17 months. Along the way they recorded some favorite memories and reasons to wander (173 to be exact), including some surreal conversations, striking photos, and aha moments. I suppose you could read the ‘reasons’ in order, but I found it fun to pick-and-choose at random, like a game of discovery in itself. A few that stood out:

Reason #31:

“This Kind of Thing: You can’t really round the corner at Home Depot and see a guy helping another guy wrap his turban. Teamwork! This and the million other “ordinary” Indian sights that confront us every day have quickly made us into babbling newborns. Imagine that every time you step outside, you see something—everything—for the first time. And then, when you see the same thing again, it still looks new because your first impression had little or no context. This cycle has been repeating on us since we landed here. It’s disorienting. It’s wonderful.”

Reason #114:

“…A recent look at our budget and the steadily, sometimes rapidly diminishing balance in our bank account suggests that without some modifications and careful planning, we might not make it through a full twelve months. On the other hand, we’re still fiercely addicted to this adventure and the idea of re-entering conventional life is as upsetting as an overnight Cambodian bus ride without seatbelts or earplugs.”

Reason #159:

“And about two-thirds of the way into this trip, I finally started admitting to myself that I wanted to try writing for a living. Or at least half a living.…If you’re not happy doing what you’re doing, if you want to travel around the world, if you want to be a professional dog walker or if you want to fly planes, try it. Take a damn chance on yourself. Because even if this doesn’t work out the way I want it to, I’m loving every minute of it. That may be the best reason to wander.”

Sloan’s work has also recently been published in Everywhere Magazine and Wend.