Why I travel

Why I Travel 

I am leaving for a trip to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in a few days and every time I tell people where I am going they laugh. And then they ask "why."  And then they ask why can't I just go to Paris. And they questions baffle me just as much as my travel destinations baffle them.

Having traveled to over 85 countries across all seven continents, I’ve realized that the most transformative journeys are the ones that confront my assumptions, test my comfort zones, and challenge my core beliefs. I no longer seek destinations that echo my worldview. I seek those that disrupt it and make me uncomfortable.

The places that have left the deepest marks on me are the ones that forced me to question who I am, what I believe, and why. To only visit places that align with my values would be to trap myself in an echo chamber. True growth doesn’t come from affirmation; it comes from friction. When I immerse myself in belief systems, cultures, and histories that contrast with my own, I’m forced to reevaluate the foundations of my thinking. Sometimes, I emerge with new convictions. Other times, my beliefs are strengthened, not out of ignorance, but because they’ve been tested.

This is why I mostly travel to places that challenge me. Not because I enjoy discomfort, but because it’s the only way I know how to evolve. I want travel should shake me up, wake me up, and reshape how I see the world and myself.