Travel?

The reason it's mentioned prominently in personal ads is probably more a case of people listing things they feel will matter to others rather than the things that really matter to them. I think being widely travelled is commonly seen as an important factor constituting an "interesting" person, maybe a better question would be why this is?

Travel requires all the things that make life and living so great. Planning, commitment, challenge, a goal, the possibility of failure and the possibility of success. The trip precipitates these into a week or two and the result is an allegory of life.

Love of travel signifies love of exploration. I'm sure that most people are just trying to say "I'm not satisfied with the same old stuff all of the time".

If you are well-traveled, it also usually means that you have a broader perspective on the world. I sincerely believe that if more Americans left their country we would have a saner foreign policy as a result.

Cheers,

Montag

P.S. Did you like how I managed to bring up politics in a blog post about personals?

Here's some wild speculation.

Online personals are generally frequented by those who are unattached.

Those who are unattached are unattached for a reason. Many are simply unable to settle down. They always think there's something better out there. Travel is a natural extension of this.

For those who cannot be satisfied with where they are, the prospect of "something else" "somewhere else" is enticing. Really they're just looking for something different than what they've currently got.

And that's why they're single.

But hey, like I said, just wild speculation.

Could be a proxy for wealth.

I do like Chris's theory.

But no one submitted any bad puns! I'm so disappointed. I guess I don't have a bad pun either, but in the spirit of that, I've decided where I'd like to travel: Texas.

I know you'll object that it's not a foreign country. But don't they say "it's like a whole other country"?

Kyle,

I think traveling has made me a better person. I understand so much more about myself, others, and the world when I get out of the box of the existance I live in and experience life that I am unfamiliar with. Going to Europe twice (in high school), I learned if you want to truely experience another culture you have to get to know the locals and not just be a tourist. My second trip I stayed with a host family and my perception of France was night and day compared with my first touristy visit. The host family also had three kids just like my own family and lived in a home much smaller than mine in Iowa. I realized how much Americans wasted space - the French host family functioned quite fine in their home and didn't have issues with clutter like my family did.

Living in Alaska for a year, I grew a lot. Especially when I lived in the remote location Chicken for 3 months. It was hard to come home and see how much yourself has changed and how difficult it was to relate to others that have not had the same life altering experiences. The downside to traveling (especially if you are in a location for an extended period of time) is that culture shock can be difficult. For me, it is harder to come back and adjust to Midwest culture then to a new culture. But, I haven't been anywhere "extreme" yet.

I love to explore, am a curious person, and enjoy learning. If it has been awhile since I have traveled, I get really anxious and I start to get preoccupied about wanting to go on another adventure.

If you ever decide to take a trip somewhere and need a traveling companion, let me know! :)

~Kim K.