It has come to my realization that I am not the typical traveler who usually goes on trips to see famed places. I'm like this not because I forced myself to be different, but because I have always had other reasons to travel.
A friend of mine recently confronted me for wasting money on trips, just to see friends. My eyes widened when I heard these words: JUST TO SEE FRIENDS.
You see, there are many different things in this world with a variety of reasons behind their existence, and our choices and actions are just the same--they're as varied as jellybean flavors. The reason why I travel may be boring to some people but that's just how it is. I don't exactly book plane tickets without having a premature excitement behind the thought of meeting with acquaintances and friends, both old and new.
I value the stories of people the same way a tourist would value taking photographs of places they've heard of or seen in magazines, the internet, and TV. I learn whenever I sit with friends, over coffee or tea. We don't really have the luxury of meeting everyday, nor do we always have the time to talk and catch up.
True, I don't stop there. Sometimes, I'd pass an interesting place (Of course, the definition of "interesting" varies from person to person as well) which would beckon on me to snap a photo of it. Sometimes, I'd be in the middle of the road walking aimlessly and end up chancing upon a trail of aroma, from a hole-in-the-wall food establishment serving cuisine I've never tasted, never seen. But these things are just bonuses and pleasant surprises that I come across, after pushing through with my visit to friends.
We all have our own drives behind traveling. A traveler is said to be one with a hungry spirit that seeks new adventures, challenges, etc. But seeing friends from faraway places is an adventure and a challenge in itself.
