Why do people have a passion for travel?
I think I know why.
Let’s talk baseball.
Opening day of baseball day is right around the corner. The boys of summer will take the field. The smell of hot dogs and beer and peanuts will waft through stadiums. The sound of the crack of a bat and cheers of the home team crowd will resound.
It reminds me of my father.
At one point in his life, my dad wanted to visit every one of the major league baseball stadiums in the U.S. He was passionate about sports
and loved the sounds and smells of a ball field, the excitement of the games, and the architecture and history of the individual baseball stadiums.
He never reached that goal, partly because he replaced it with the more ambitious goal of visiting every one of the continents. With the exception of Antarctica, my father and mother did achieve that travel goal.
What do baseball stadiums and travel have in common?
- Sounds and smells unique to a particular location
- Food that fits the setting and is different than what we usually eat
- Architecture to admire
- History to learn
- A language (or jargon) to learn in which to communicate with others in this locale
- Folklore of the place to appreciate
- Fashion and attire commonly worn in this destination
- Culture (or sport) in which to immerse oneself
- A welcome escape from everyday life
Why are people passionate about travel?
Travel can whisk a person off into a new world crammed with unique experiences. It is both an escape and an education. In that way, it’s like baseball.
Play ball!