Why do you travel?

Inspired by all of the hullabaloo (yes, I tried) surrounding social media and teen (ex) Instagrammer/Youtuber Essena O’Neill the last few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the purpose behind why we do what we do.

Maybe quitting social media is an extreme action to take, but the sentiment is clear: living life behind a superficial façade is no way to live. It distracts us from real issues that really matter and make us feel something deep down when we devote our time to them.

How does this relate to travel?

Take a look through the travellers you follow on social media. So many (though not all) have the exact same profile—I admit that I likely fall into that. We are travellers who travel because… we like to travel? We like to see things? We like to take pictures and post them on instagram or take selfies so everyone can see how adventurous we are?

I don’t want to get cynical or or snarky here. What I’m looking for is some true inspiration.

Why do you travel? Is it because you love to see how people interact in other cultures? Because you are obsessed with cultural ceremonies and all their little quirks? Maybe you get a high from climbing new mountains, seeing new landscapes? Or you want to explore conservation issues, spread the word about organizations that tackle real social issues, or live a life that just makes you feel good inside?

Being a traveller is not what defines you these days. What really matters is what you do while you are travelling. Let’s talk about it.