Since the dawn of man we’ve had this urge to explore. But why exactly do we travel? The selfish answer would be that we, not only wanted to discover the unknown, but to be the first. That badge of saying: “I’ve been there, you have got to see this…”, breathes a sense of sophistication; it adds a new intricacy to an individuals persona.

In the globalized world we live in, where practically anyone with Wi-Fi can connect to each other, the broadcast range of seeing something first has shrunk. The time where one can be the first human to stumble upon a new land is gone. It’s no longer a worldwide phenomenon to cross the seas, but simply everyday life.

Now, the range includes the people directly around you, and the friends you may (or may not) know on social media. But that doesn’t mean the act of traveling is any less spectacular. It just means the circle of people that will be awed (but secretly be jealous) of your exploits dwindled.

Yet, while everyone is selfish at times, and being able to boast about a journey is part of the fun, the true reason of traveling is to discover oneself. Traveling truly produces a sense of solace that is, for the most part, impossible to experience at home. Distant lands really do emphasize ones true nature.

We all settle into our everyday life. We find ways to fit into the puzzle: how we deal with people at work or what we do with our friends. It’s easy in this fever-pitch planet to lose track of who exactly you are. Traveling reminds us of this, and does it in spades.

The excitement in the time leading up to a trip escalates like an orchestra’s crescendo. When you think about it, what else animates us as much as traveling? Getting in touch with those emotions is the first step. Feeling things we don’t normally feel provides us a glimpse of who we are.

This glimpse turns into an open window while we’re away, and the lucky ones can even rediscover who they are, as well as who and what is important to them. But, if traveling doesn’t fully expose all those emotions and traits, the experience isn’t a complete failure, because you felt something new.

Yes, it can be awe-inspiring to lay on a beach, or walk through foreign city streets conversating with locals. But beneath all of the other selfish motives, finding oneself is the underlying reason we drift. It’s the reason why we want to breath foreign lands’ air. Viewing the beauty of this world, exposes human natures’ inner beauty.