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At some point as an adult I got used to (and even learned to enjoy) this act and process of travel. A friend and I were talking about our love of travel and how we developed it. We didn't grow up going on a lot of overseas holidays with our folks. My family and I flew back to the Philippines once in a blue moon, but drove everywhere else (mainly the Eastern seaboard), so I think for me the spirit of exploration was instilled in me by my parents during those local summer tourism vacations. I didn't even visit California (where I live now) until college, which is also when I started using my passport more, this time without my family - to study, to volunteer, to vacation, and to work. College was also the start of international travel for my friend, although they were always taught to be mindful of people far away, usually by giving to NGO's, e.g. sponsoring a child somewhere.
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As I moved around the last few years, travel became a way to stay connected as much as a way to explore new places. I'd sit in traffic on a bus for a few hours to see my then-boyfriend-now-husband. We'd head from SF to LA to visit dear friends. We'd fly out somewhere in order to witness a friend's wedding in some small town. This week we went from California to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with family and attend a wedding, and I'm so grateful that we have the ability to do so. We get to laugh with loved ones in person, rather than through text. We get to play with the little ones right on the floor, rather than watch through Face Time. There are many times when travel has opened up my eyes with new experiences, but there are also times when travel helps make the world feel smaller and people feel closer.
