Ok, so I finally figured out exactly how to write this for my purposes.  I want to tell you about the year I spent abroad in Australia and Italy (as well as next semester when I’ll be in London) without just saying “I did this and it was cool”.  So I have decided to model it kind of after “Love is”.  Because travel is love to me.  But there will be more than just the one sentence.  Haha!  So today I will start with what travel actually is!  And what it means to me of course.

Travel is “to go from one place to another, as by car, train, plane or ship; take a trip” according to dictionary.com.  I think they left out  a few modes of transportation, but maybe that’s just me.

Even when I was a kid, I loved the actual act of traveling.  It didn’t matter were we were going.  My family and I always took trips, once or twice a year.  I remember the anticipation the night before, not being able to sleep even though I had to get up early.  Then my parents would wake me well before the sun rose, and barely opening my eyes I would climb into the back of our sea foam green van.  Where I would sleep for hours in a nest of blankets.  Wish it was that easy now!

My dad always told me I loved these trips because I didn’t have to drive.  But I found him to be wrong.  Since sophomore year of college, each semester that I actually attend my school in America, I drive halfway across the country from Dallas to Philly.  Usually by myself.  And I love it even more.  I can stop to pee as much as I want.  I can eat whatever I want.  Listen to whatever I want.  And nothing gives you the feeling of freedom and accomplishment that finally arriving at your destination brings.

But driving is not necessarily my preferred method of traveling.  I really enjoy anything that takes me to a new place. Or even an old place I haven’t been in a while.

I love travel by plane, boat, train, kayak, camel, walking, paragliding, swimming, horseback, or hiking!  And I’m sure there are many I have yet to try.  But I’ll save those for another post.

This is just the beginning of finding out what travel is.