Blog #2- Traveling

The topic I chose to write about in my blogs this semester is traveling. Traveling is a passion of mine, and I really love to talk about my different experiences in different places. When speaking about traveling, I won’t just be speaking about tourism. I will be talking about getting to experience different cultures and seeing new places. I think it’s important to talk about the different experiences made while traveling and how they shape us as people.

My interest in travel began with curiosity. What really made me passionate about traveling was a school trip that many of my friends and I signed up for. We had the opportunity to travel to many different cities throughout Italy, including Venice, Florence, Sorrento, and Rome. Getting to travel to a new country with 20+ of my closest friends was an amazing opportunity, and I hope one day to do something like it again. We had new tour guides that were locals in each city we went to. What I liked about this approach was that I thought we were getting the authentic experience of each city and not just going to all the main tourist attractions. It was extremely interesting to see all the world had to offer, and ever since then I have loved the idea of traveling.

Since then, I’ve continued to travel, even though most of the time I am not actively traveling. I still engage with travel culture by viewing travel content on social media and following along with influencers or vloggers who document their journeys.

There are many different communities and ways to travel. A close friend of mine told me she was backpacking through Europe this past summer. At first, I was a little confused as to what she meant by that exactly. Upon doing some further research, I found this extremely interesting, so I decided to do more research. Backpackers are often younger travelers who move through regions like Southeast Asia or Europe with just a backpack and a budget. I think that this gives a very interesting and unique experience of travel, and I would argue backpacking makes it more authentic. The way I view backpacking is a way of traveling where you spend minimal time in a hostel or wherever you are staying. You just go there to sleep, and wherever you’re traveling, you’re truly there to explore. You don’t spend your days inside hotel rooms ordering room service, you go and do things that are unique to whatever place you are at. Additionally, rather than going on guided tours and following tourist attractions, you’re able to fully immerse yourself in a new city and a new culture, which is what traveling really is.

I think that writing a blog, starting a YouTube channel, or just posting about your traveling experiences is a great thing to do to spread knowledge, inspire others, and share your journey. I know that as I travel in the future, I will definitely be taking photo and video documentation, not just for others to view, but for myself and to remember the places that I’ve been.

I hope that by writing this blog I’m able to learn more about traveling and travel culture. I hope to educate myself and hopefully apply what I learn to my own experiences. I hope to live one day. I look at travel as a way of personal growth, and I think it educates a person in ways that nothing else can. I also hope to explore more affordable ways to travel because I feel everyone deserves a chance to see the world.

Photo from: Wix

Photo from: Wix

Photo from: Wix