When you initially buy a plane ticket, you suddenly feel a burst of excitement, curiosity, responsibility, and so much more. That plane ticket is much more than a piece of paper with a destination and barcode; it is something that withholds dreams, experiences, and knowledge.
You walk to your terminal, through the gate, down the small compact hallway to the doorway of the plane. Your warm hand taps the side of the cold aircraft as a hope of good luck and down the aisle you go to find your seat. Eventually, it takes off into the open blue skies, through the misty clouds, and above society.
Within a few short hours, the plane touches a brand new runway and your adventures await. You truly have no idea what is coming your way; perhaps you know an itinerary… but you don’t know what awaits. You never know what friendships or connections you will have or what you will experience. That is potentially the most exciting concept of travel. So much awaits you, and none of it is known beforehand.
Before you know it, you are standing in the middle of a foreign city, watching car headlights fly past you in the darkness; the constant horns blaring. Witnessing a businessman rushing home in his slick gray suit, briefcase in hand. Watching the powerful woman stomp her heels in the pavement with every step she takes… it’s all so foreign. But it’s a home. This foreign city is a home to thousands upon thousands of people. The city may be new to you, but it’s someplace that holds memories and obstacles for so many human beings.
That coffee shop you pass every morning of your stay is a regular stop for some. That’s where work is done and coffee breaks reside. That building in Piccadilly, London is the home of workers trying to provide for their family. That bus stop is where a woman waits for her long ride home to the country. That bench in the park holds memories of the old woman sitting there watching her grandchildren play. This place is filled with so much for many and so little for you. Sit there in that open field and take in the laughter you hear, the conversations in foreign accents, and the expressions people portray.
If you are given the opportunity to travel more and more, the world will soon become your home. All of it.
