On Travel

 Why I travel

I travel out of curiosity. Growing up in communist China, I watched many movies made in the Soviet Union and read the novel "Anna Karenina," and watched the movie based on it. Since then, I have been fascinated by Saint Petersburg. Many years later, when I finally traveled to Russia, I fulfilled my childhood dream of visiting Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Curiosity has taken me to many places around the world.

Travel takes me out of my everyday routine and into a completely different reality where I see new landscapes, architectures, meet new people, experience different cultures, and taste different foods. When I return to my normal life, I am rejuvenated and become more productive at work, knowing that my hard work has yielded something meaningful. This cycle repeats a couple of times a year. I work, I travel, and then I return to work and start planning again.

When I traveled to countries like India and Cambodia, I saw many people living in poverty and poor conditions. These moments made me appreciate how fortunate I am to have so much and to be able to live a good life. I become more appreciative of what I have: family, friends, my home, and my health.

My kind of travel can be challenging because it usually includes waking up early in the morning and going to sleep late at night. Long hours are spent at airports and sitting in tight airplane seats. But when I arrive at a destination and see the beautiful sights, such as a gorgeous garden, a grand train station, beautiful mountains, and amazing wildflowers, it becomes clear that all the effort has been worthwhile.

Travel teaches me to be more adaptable and flexible. It inspires me to be adventurous, to explore new surroundings, and to engage with strangers. Through travel, I learn new things, make new friends, and my world becomes bigger, making any problems I have insignificant.