“To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen
I concur.
I credit my parents with instilling the love of travel in me. It seemed like we went on a family vacation every year. Sometimes it was to Colorado or South Dakota – often both in the same trip – to see grandparents. It was long weekends camping and snow skiing. When I was in fifth grade all six of us went to Hawaii. I still remember gnawing on that sugar cane stick the whole week; and I had that puka shell necklace for years. It was the memory of going to the USS Arizona at age 10 that made me want to see it again when I was in Honolulu in my 40s. I was still awed by that memorial decades later.
It wasn’t until my 20s that I got my first passport. I’m on my third one, with this one expiring in a little more than a year. Of course I’ll be getting another one. I notched another stamp last month – Denmark – where my ancestors came from.
Seeing new places is a wonderful education in so many disciplines – cultural, architectural, culinary, social, geography, history, political, to name a few. Most lessons are informal. They come about by listening, talking, exploring, looking, reading, tasting. What I’ve learned could never be taught in a classroom, could never be contained in some textbook. Travel is living. It’s that simple.
What I like best about travel is meeting people. It doesn’t happen every trip. It’s more apt to occur when I’m alone, traveling with one other or a small group. In talking to people outside my normal circle I grow exponentially. It’s like the learning spigot is on full blast. Average people are wonderful; it’s the people in government and the policies that ensue that are often divisive.

Cleo with daughters Kae, Pam and Jann in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 2019. (Image: Veronica Wong)
When we get stuck in our routines – often work, family, a little fun, repeat – well, it’s a rut. Travel necessitates leaving the day-to-day rituals behind because it will mean a different bed to wake up in, different food, everything is apt to be different. That’s not to say everything will go smoothly each trip. With the right mindset, though, any challenge can be rewarding. Travel will change you — for the better.
Travel doesn’t have to be to exotic lands. It could be to the town next door, to a neighboring state, or maybe it requires a passport. Travel doesn’t have to test one’s ability to convert your currency to something else, it doesn’t have to mean speaking another language, it doesn’t mean even having to get outside of your comfort zone, nor does it have to be expensive. Travel should be about creating wonderful memories. Even when things don’t go smoothly, later it’s often something to laugh about – at minimum it’s a story worth telling.
Life is too short to maintain the status quo. Go travel. Go explore. Go create memories.
Kae, I agree so enthusiastically with you, sharing the joys of travel, as I have experienced those very same results. Even without a complete college education, I have gained so much, risen above, through travel. After so many years of meeting people in their own countries, I continue to maintain my many friendships overseas that I would not have gained without travel. You still have plenty of time left to explore even more of this world. Happy travels.
I agree with you. I just don’t do it much anymore. I’ve gotten myself so busy that I feel guilty traveling. I’m 85. Maybe I should rethink that. Anyway, your article is definitely food for thought.
I wish my dad would have liked to travel and taken vacations w us; not growing up vacationing meant I didn’t do it much at all. But when my kids were young, I took them with me to live in Europe for 18 months – and traveled all over various countries with them sparking and adventurous spirit in my son . My daughter travels more w get kids 🙂 and I’ve learned to take a couple of vacations !
Great article, Kae. Just returned from seven days in VA & learned so much exploring Civil War sites…a real eye opener.
Yes, the memories of travel last a lifetime. Even though they may be challenging, there’s still an undeniable richness to them.
Great photo of the sisters and their mom. You all certainly look related
So well spoken, Kathryn! Your synopsis of the vast knowledge and growth we earn by traveling, near or far, brings it all together. I did not grow up traveling other from from Detroit to Orlando to visit my only grandparent every year at Easter break. That trip was all my parents could afford annually. But it did spark my interest in seeing other states, cultures, climates, etc. Over the course of my 42-yr marriage so far, we have lived in 6 states and have wonderful friends and memories from them all. Our lives are richer because of these experiences. So thankful we both still have the travel’bug’ and thankfully have the health to do more now in our ‘golden’ years. I am SO enjoying your gift of writing so eloquently…always look forward to your next blog or topic!