Why We Travel

We had planned to be travelling with Wagtail this week but things happened. Now we’re actually quite glad we didn’t go. The weather has turned icy and there are reports of snow and rain from all over. Not the kind of weather to be camping, I’m sure you’ll agree. So instead I’m sitting at my desk thinking about why we have such itchy feet. The events of the last year and a half have got me thinking about travel.

Carol, my wife, and I have this tremendous urge to get out and see somewhere new and we’re not alone. All over we see and hear of people wanting to do the same. On the face of it, I’m sure there’s an element of cabin fever. After all, South Africans have experienced one of the longest lockdowns in the world and we just want to get out. But travelling is more than getting out, more than just going to the beach, the park or for a drive. It’s leaving our familiar environment and journeying somewhere different from our norm. It’s the excitement of planning the trip, getting everything ready, packing and, best of all, leaving. It’s the anticipation of getting there, of setting up, of being free from the daily routines and being able to relax and do nothing without feeling guilty.

Ever stopped to consider why we humans have such an urge to travel? Animals don’t. Yes, they migrate, but that’s a totally different thing. They move to ensure they get enough food to survive and conditions favourable for reproduction. Humans travel because they want to go new places, see new things, meet new people. In other words, we travel for fun. But is that all there is to it? Or is there something in our genetic makeup that prompts us to get up and go?

For as long as man has been in existence we’ve been on the move. We started out here on the southern tip of Africa and we ended up travelling to every part of the world. Once we’d got to all the habitable places, we turned our attention to the not so friendly ones. We travelled though deserts, the frozen poles, the highest mountains, the deepest oceans and now we’re aiming for the moon and stars. What is it that drives this compulsion in us to travel?

Author Eric Weiner said “Travel is food for the soul”. And talking of this time in our history he says “Right now we’re between courses, savouring where we’ve been and anticipating where we’ll go.” He maintains that travel is not about the journey or the destination, but rather about finding a new way of seeing things. I think he’s right, travel opens our minds to new ideas and experiences. It broadens our outlook and gives us a new perspective on people and events. The more we travel the more we come to realize that people are basically the same all over the world. That there are more nice people than nasty and, given the opportunity, people love to help one another.

So while we’re waiting to go again, we can dream. Dream of the places we’ve been and the places we’d still like to go. Dream of the great journeys that others have made and of where man might still go. It’s time to take out the old photos and slides and share the memories. Time to watch travel movies (thanks to friends we’ve been watching a wonderful series on YouTube by Rick Steves – https://www.youtube.com/user/ricksteves). We can really recommend it. Time to read about the incredible trips people have made through the ages.

There are so many amazing stories and we’re finding out more all the time. For instance, did you know that a Chinese admiral, Zheng He, is reputed to have sailed round the world a century before Magellan did? Gavin Menzies’ book “1421 – The Year China Discovered America“ is a fascinating account of what might have happened. Whether or not Zheng He actually circumnavigated the globe, we’ll probably never know. However, it is a fact that he did sail all over the Indian ocean and the east coast of Africa long before any Europeans did.

Then there’s Marco Polo who travelled overland from Venice to China. From 1271 to 1295 Marco travelled all over the East and brought back tales of people, places and things as yet unheard of in Europe. His travels inspired generations of travellers, including Christopher Columbus. And the list goes on and on. So while we can’t travel right now, we can travel in our minds, as we read and watch the accounts of those who went before us. Until we can take Wagtail out again, I’ll just dream about travelling and I encourage you to do the same. After all it’s a lot more fun than focussing on what’s going on around us right now. Hopefully we’ll meet on the road somewhere in the future. Until then, happy dreaming.

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Happy travelling!