TRAVEL WHILE YOU CAN

Once you reach a certain age, that small sense of wonder that used to control your every thought doesn't disappear, but it does become much more faint. As you reach high school, college, and graduation, and burst through the doors of adulthood, it's hard to remind yourself that you still have time and that the world isn't getting smaller; you just continue to stay small within it. It is admittedly hard to fight this, as unless your parents presented you with the privilege of showing you the world they brought you into, your chances to do it on your own pass by, and fleetingly at that. Traveling isn't really a necessity, or at least not for those who have the power to prevent you from it; thus, almost as soon as we do graduate and get jobs, getting out of the town you work in for more than a weekend becomes increasingly more challenging. 

In this article, I intend to break down why leaving the town you live in every once in a while is important, and also ways I've found to make it as cheap as possible.

 In America especially, staying in one, fairly sparsely populated town for your entire life is much too common. Maybe with the exception of college, some people break that stereotype, but I am aware of far too many people who have never been further East than New Jersey, further North than New York, further West than Ohio, or further South than West Virginia. And this is in no way any individual's fault, I'm almost positive nobody is living and dying in one town by choice, but the system so many of us are trying to work in is simply not made for us, thus significantly increasing the difficulty of finding your way through it. One of the best, easiest, far from cheapest, but probably most convenient ways to get out is through college. Now I am incredibly fortunate and privileged to have been able to move as far away as I did to attend University, 2200 miles from Pennsylvania to Arizona. My stepmom moved with me in order to get in-state tuition, and now my tuition is cheaper than if I had done in-state back home home. And now here I am. The totally new state, people, city, and landscape are different than what I grew up with. For some, this kind of juxtaposition may feel jarring, I myself tend to question why the bug itching me to get out of Pennsylvania led me to Arizona of all places, but I accomplished the one thing I wanted to: change. One of the biggest reasons why I think exploring the world around us is so important is to experience change, whether that's for yourself or the world around you. I feel as though so many people staying in one place get stuck. They hear the same voices, same words, and same greetings, they see the same scenery, and the same faces, they go to the same places every single day, from high school graduation to the Home their unloved children put them in. And as a result, they become almost closed off to anything else. That's why when people are trying to find themselves spiritually, they travel. Seeing more of the world around you opens your mind and allows more creativity, freedom, and connection from your mind to your body to flow through you. I've also found traveling allows for a deeper appreciation both for where you do live and where you do not. When I'm feeling too stuck in college, I like to plan little trips for myself sometimes. Even if it's only having a sleepover in someone else's house, that feeling of separation from what you know, and the feeling you get when returning, for me, always makes me return with more appreciation for my little daily routine. That is another element to bring light to; travel doesn't need to be big. I feel like what often happens during these kinds of conversations, usually for people like me, is that they immediately write it off as something they'd never be able to do. "Oh, you want me to travel? With what money?" I'm talking about something more suggestive than actually physically moving hundreds of miles. One of the biggest and best elements of travel is the separation. Getting to break up your 'little daily routine' and experience a slightly different way of living. Rent an Airbnb for one night, two towns over, go to a restaurant you've never been to, or go to one you know you like but order something different. Change up the pace, and you will enjoy the pace so much more when you're back on it. 

However, traveling the world is still something I A: want to do, and B: think is very important. For people like me, traveling in the way I see everyone else travel is somewhat off the table. For now, I'm sticking to the States. Eventually, I'll get up to Canada and begin flying to places I want to go to. But the United States of America has some of the most diverse landscapes in one country, and if flying somewhere is off the table, even just for now, sticking to one country might be enough. Because you don't need to experience Italian and Japanese culture to experience different cultures, i.e., you don't need to leave the country. If opening your mind and seeing new things is important to you, you can find most of what you want right here. Deserts, Forests, Rivers, Oceans, Canyons, Mountains, Cliffs, Rocky Coasts, Sandy Beaches, Swamps, and Tundra, can all be found in the 50 States, even more if you cross the North or South border. And one of the best parts about that is that by sticking in one country, you don't need to fly anywhere, saving a lot on travel expenses. Even better, by not flying, you get to see so much more. Traveling is not cheap. You need supplies, you need food, and water, preferably ones that pack well, and you will need a good amount saved up. Fortunately, saving is as easy as not spending money. Just don't. Put $10 in a jar every paycheck and by the end of the year, you'll have...money. Regardless, don't eat out, make your own coffee, camp instead of getting a hotel, rent a car that's good on gas, or just use your own car and get a gas card. There are always ways to make it cheaper. 

As far as worldly travel, there are, of course, ways to make it cheaper. However, I've never been outside the US/Canada region, so I can't really say from experience what the smartest way to go about it is, though worldly travel to me seems like something I wouldn't want to cut myself short on anyway. When it comes to the States, I like traveling to see nature, it's much more of a desire to reinforce that connection between me and Gaea, and see the beauty in the world that I have yet to see. However, while I also want to see the Alps, want to see Creme, want to see the Himalayas, when I plan on traveling to the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Nepal, and the Philippines, my desire is much more an experience of historic culture than "the sights". As much as I want to see the amazingly beautiful natural world I have yet to see, I first want to see Rome, Paris, and Shanghai. But that's what I find truly beautiful about traveling, it doesn't need to be just one thing or about just one experience. Travel for the sake of traveling. 

It's hard because our economy makes it very clear they don't want us to even take sick days, let alone week-long hiatuses to Greece. But it's something so special and unique to anyone, and something everyone needs to emphasize the importance of at least once in their life. As difficult as it is to save nowadays, it is so worth it, and you may not have to save as much as some people make you think you will, just based on very small decisions like flying vs driving or what food you pack. But anything, even small road trips a state over, or a lake day further north than you've been before, anything to let your mind stretch a little bit and see things you don't see every single day. It can help you grow and think; it can help you re-collect yourself, and feel more grounded. Just break away from the routine for a day, if for nothing else than do it to prove yourself wrong. "I only get one day off a week, and I spend it cleaning my house". Don't. Leave it a little messier for a day. Get out, go run, frolic, skip, and hop. Let your child-like wonder feel the awe and amazement again.