What does travel mean to you? For some it’s an escape, a chance to get away from the stress and pressures of everyday life. For others it’s an adventure, a chance to try something different or see something new. Others enjoy the social connections of traveling, meeting new people or catching up with friends or family.
For me, it’s a little of all of it; and my reasons for traveling have changed over time. Traveling, and camping specifically, has always been an escape from reality for me. I have a busy job at a school and our family has seemingly unending social obligations on the evenings and weekends. I am by nature a solitary, introverted person, and setting off with the truck and trailer has always been a way for me to escape all these demands and enjoy some quiet time with my husband and children.
For the last ten years, I have had a baby or small child on my hip. This stage of life has been the most challenging and rewarding years of my life thus far, but it is all too quickly drawing to a close. My youngest baby is almost four, and I am not needed in the ways that I have been in the past. I don’t have to stand constant watch over my children, they have a little more independence and free reign now. This has changed our travel style, too. In the past, it took all of our focus and energy just to make sure everyone stayed alive, didn’t jump into the campfire or wander away from our site. Now that everyone is a little older, we can do some adventuring together. We go on bike rides and short hikes, do a lot of swimming and exploring. It’s quite a different experience, but one I am finding that I really enjoy.
The social aspect of traveling is one that I never really cared for. After a stressful week of working and caring for my babies, spending the weekend entertaining friends and family just felt overwhelming to me. But then 2020 arrived in all its glory and sent us all for a tailspin! I hate to even say it, because I know it has caused many people much grief and heartache, but quarantine and staying at home has been good for our family in many ways. We’ve been able to spend more time together and focus on what’s important to us as a family. Our social obligations have become virtually non-existent, and I don’t feel so overwhelmed and stressed by life. Once we were able to start camping again, we found ourselves actually seeking out the company of friends and family, which was a first for us. I’ve been enjoying this time with others in a way I haven’t been able to before.
Traveling and exploring new places is such an important part of our life that I can’t imagine life without it. It brings us together and helps us to grow and learn as a family. It keeps us active and engaged in the world around us. It leaves me with a sense of good in the world, even during these difficult times. What about you? Why do you travel, and how have those reasons changed over time?