“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer”

In my previous posts I have gathered some tips about booking flights. Now I want to slow things down a bit and go back to basics. Why do I love travelling so much and why am I writing about it?

For me travelling has always been a lifestyle. Ever since I was little, my family used to go for a big trip at least once a year. When I was a kid, the trips were mainly to resorts in the Mediterranean, but as I grew older, the trips turned into more and more city trips. From there on, I’ve been hooked on travelling. So what is it about the travels that excites me so much?

As I started to write this post, I really had to stop for a second and think what it actually is that makes me so happy about travelling. I’m not able to pinpoint just one or two things and they are hard to put down in words, but I will try.

I’ve been doing most of my travelling by flying, and I realized that my excitement for the trip starts already when arriving to the airport. I know many people that hate airports, but for me airports are a happy place as it usually means that I’m about to experience something new. There is just something special about airports… The atmosphere is full of anticipation and excitement – people going on holidays, going to visit their families or about to move to another country. As part of my routine, I enjoy being at the airport a bit earlier to be able to sit down for a bit, have a glass of wine and just enjoy the moment before heading to the departure gate.

However, I don’t travel just for the sake of being at the airport. The greatest part of travelling is of course the destination. Every town, city and country I have visited has had its own charm and uniqueness. And that is exactly what attracts me in travelling. Whether you are walking at the Colosseum in Rome, looking at the ruins of the Berlin wall, or simply sipping wine at the Como lake, every impression is something you won’t be able to experience anywhere else. But the uniqueness doesn’t need to be something that extravagant either. Every country, city and town has their own ambience that can create a unique experience.

The overall atmosphere is something that can either make or break the trip. I personally have had some amazing trips, some mediocre trips and some trips that just were not successful for one reason or another. But the trips that were amazing had something in common – and that was the overall ambience.

Another thing – although connected to the uniqueness – that fascinates me about travelling, is experiencing something new, whether it’s nature, sights, culture, or food. Every trip is different and has its own purpose: If you go to a city with a lot of well-known sights such as Paris, you will most likely spend most of your time sightseeing. If you go to Scandinavian Lapland, you will most likely go there for the nature, and if you go to Italian countryside, you do so to enjoy good wine and Italian food. Whatever the purpose of the trip, it’s important to experience something new. If I visit a place that I’ve never been to before, that will automatically happen but there are also several cities which I’ve visited more than once. In that case, I usually do some research to find new things I haven’t seen or done.

Sometimes these new experiences can leave you at awe. It doesn’t matter how many pictures of a sight or landmark you have seen , seeing it with your own eyes is a hundred time better. The feeling of seeing something so spectacular that it makes you speechless, this is the feeling that I grave for when I travel.

What you gain from travelling is not tangible, it is a feeling or memory. Taking pictures may help to remember your trips, but let’s be honest: how many of us scroll through images from a trip to Venice 3 years ago? The most valuable memories are in your head, and that is what I seek with travelling, filling my head with happy memories and images from different places.

So, going back to the title of this article, for me travelling really is the one thing that I can buy that makes me richer. Not in the sense of money – but in terms of experiences.

So, why am I writing about it?

Being a student and only working part-time, my budget is obviously tighter compared to when I worked full-time. However, as I still need to fulfil my urge to travel frequently, I am eager to find ways to save money when travelling or finding budget options to my normal travels. I realized that I am not the only one struggling with this, so as I’m discovering various budget travel options, I also want to share my findings and tips with you.

Are there any other (budget) travel junkies out there? Leave a comment about what it is about travelling that gets you going!

Sources

All pictures by Lotta Keski-Mäenpää