15 Reasons to Travel

Don't ask me why 15. I have no idea. It's the first number that popped into my head, so let's see if I can manage to limit myself to it. OK, so why travel?

1. To get away from this heat. Seriously, no one ever really gets used to being over 100F.

2. To be near a body of water. And yes, this directly relates to number 1. Jumping in the pool helps, but even at 10 pm, it's so warm it's like swimming in pee.

3. To be able to walk around. Again heat-related, but also to do with living in the suburbs of a highway town where nothing can really be called walking distance.

4. To hang out at the airport. I know most people hate dealing with the airport, but I actually like it.

5. To read non-work-related texts without interruptions. That's one of the perks of hanging out at the airport. At first I really hated the new security regulations that didn't let non-travelers accompany you to the gate, until I realized it gave me time to read.

6. To get another stamp in my passport. A well-worn passport with multiple stamps is just art.

7. To add quirky slang to my vocabulary. I like to adopt words that don't exist in my languages or work them into daily conversation. Among my favorites: yalla!

8. To discover what I'm like in a completely different context. Anyone that says that we're all nature and no nurture clearly never travels.

9. To experience us in a different context. Travel adds fun to marriage.

10. To eat! I love to eat and it's an awesome way to find out about places. Food always comes with history and great conversation.

11. To see my own life and culture from someone else's point of view. Commercials, ads, chats with locals, newspapers all add up to a really interesting perspective I could never see on my own.

12. To have new stories to tell, good and bad. The best part is that sharing travel stories with friends and family always inspires them to share their own stories, and I just love a good story.

13. To buy cool stuff I can't get at home. And no, not everything on earth is sold on ebay or Amazon; it just feels that way sometimes.

14. To make friends in far places. There are too many good reasons to do that!

15. To get away from winter. That's right, winter. The whole reason I have traveling on the brain is because we're planning and plotting to fly south for the winter—or at least par of it. It's time to check out what the South Americans are up to. Chile, here we come!

What are your reasons for traveling? Oh, and if you've been to Chile and know of something awesome we should experience, now is the time to tell me!