Many people travel because they went on an exchange program and caught the ‘travel bug.’ They became addicted to the idea of traveling, to explore the world, to keep flying and moving and to become a ‘nomad.’ My friends see me shifting a lot and might have think I have caught the travel bug also, but I would disagree. I didn’t become addicted with the idea of ‘travelling’ but became addicted to the many things I learn while travelling. During the Easter holidays, I went on a two week trip and I country-hopped across Europe. It was one of the longest trip I have done on my own, and even though it was exhausting, it was so worth it. It made me reflect a lot about why I travel and what I love about it. Travelling is more than just being on the move — it is my constant growth that I witness on the road.

These are the top 3 reasons why I love travelling:

1. Being Inspired: I’ve had quite horrific experiences living in hostel this time around — I had barely caught any sleep — but when I landed in a good hostel, I met amazing people. People who travel are like-minded — everyone has their own story of why they are here on the road — and they inspire me. I’ve met people who were taking gap years to people who were doing internships through full scholarships. People who travel are open-minded individuals who are interested in learning about the world and are some of the most intelligent people I know. I love hearing stories — where they have been, where they are going next, why they landed here and who they are as people. The ability to meet amazing people is a reason why I love staying in hostels.
2. History: Learning about the history of a country is seriously the best history class I ever had. While being immersed by the architecture and walls of what it used to be, you can imagine what it was like back in the day while stories are told through a tour. This was specifically eye-opening when I visited Berlin and had an opportunity to visit the concentration camp. The prisoners of the Nazi camp shadowed the grounds everywhere and it was a horrific but humbling experience. I learned so much about the WWII in a few days but also felt the presence of how it must have been like at the time.
3. Cultural Shock: When you travel to a new place and country, you are experiencing something different — food, culture, people, and the language. Norms that I’m used to no longer is the norm anymore. Food I’m used to eating is not the food that most people eat in the city. You get to try new things, hear new languages, understand how the city and locals live, and be immersed in something else. I even find the more I travel, I’m starting to be able to distinguish people from different countries and recognizing accents worldwide — it’s a beautiful thing.

I don’t think I need to travel to everywhere in the world or to be travelling forever as a nomad. Many people ask me what’s my next dream destination — and to be honest — I don’t have that many. For me, it’s all about the experience, to be able to go somewhere and to plan as I go along. I don’t have to be somewhere — but if the opportunity arises, I also ask, why not? Let’s find somewhere I could never imagine myself going. I never know where life leads me, but I know I’ll figure it out halfway there.

Everyone has a story.

This is mine.