Mallory in front of the Eiffel Tower

I’m sorry for the lack of new content recently. I was promoted at work which left very little time in the first part of this year for travel and blogging. I have been developing my photography skills, and have some huge plans for the rest of the year that I’ll be sharing soon!! Be sure to like us on facebook and follow me on Instagram and twitter @passports2life

I have to admit this post has taken me a long time to finish, but I wanted to get it right because it is so important to me.

What Travel Means to Me

 Dictionary.com defines travel as:

Travel

verb (used without object), traveled, traveling or (especially British) travelled, travelling.

to go from one place to another, as by car, train, plane, or ship; take a trip; journey:

To me, travel is much more than going from one place to another. There is how you are getting there. The purpose of the travel. The destination, the culture, the food, the sights, sounds, and smells. The act of moving from one place to another may be the most menial part of the journey, although I admit I spend a lot of time talking about it.

Mount Faber Merlion

One of the Instagram hashtags I use a lot is #traveldeeper. This hashtag resonates with me because to me it implies not only am I going to this amazing new place to see the sights and relax but going deeper to find the culture, food, etc. To me travel is therapeutic. Most people would do everything they could to avoid long layovers or ultra-long haul flights. To me, it’s a chance to hit the reset button and reflect on my life experiences molding my point of view and perception of the planet and the people I encounter.

Breaking Perception

When we were in Abu Dhabi we HAD to ride a camel!

It seems that these days’ people are very quick to judge a place or group of people without learning anything about them. More than a couple people have recently asked me how I can feel safe when traveling given all the terrible things that have occurred recently. My answer is always well the terrible things could have happened anywhere, even near home, so letting the fear takeover is exactly what they are trying to accomplish with these attacks.

I think that the more people can get out, travel and experience new people and cultures the better off our world will be. Travel and experiences will without a doubt change your perception of the place and the people who call that place home. I can honestly say that I have never gone somewhere and left feeling the same way about that city when I arrived. No place is exactly how you think it’s going to be.

Travel Enables Creativity

For me, travel inspires creativity. In school, I was never a great writer and I never felt like a creative or artistic person. Since starting Passports to Life I have developed a love for photography and videography, and continue to develop my style of writing or expression.

Hanging Orchids

Apart from when I’m around some of my closest friends, I would generally consider myself a quiet, almost kind of shy person. When it comes to discussing travel and what travel means to me, I can go on all day about the places I’ve been, places I’m looking forward to visiting and everything in between. Travel brings out an extroverted side of me that typically isn’t there.

Travel Gives us Experience

Visiting a country like Guatemala or Honduras and seeing how happy everyone seems while having so little really makes me reflect on how lucky I am to have everything I have and the ability to experience everything I have experienced. When I visited Singapore there is a huge emphasis placed on food and embracing the cultural differences of their three distinct groups – Muslim, Chinese, and Indian. And everyone gets along just fine!

A Skyline Selfie from Victoria Peak

Obviously, travel is very inspiring to me, or I wouldn’t have started Passports to Life. The more I travel, the more want to travel. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I had never left the US. I want to thank my mom and dad for giving me the travel bug at a very young age. I hope I can inspire YOU to travel and seek out new experiences and cultures because I promise it will change you, and that is a good thing. Start embracing your wanderlust and seeking out need places and experiences you won’t regret it! That is what travel means to me.

How has travel shaped who you are today? Let me know in the comments below!