The Objective of Travelling

So now that my real "backpacking" has begun, I am constantly asked what is the objective of my travelling.  So far, I've met many holiday travellers (Germany must be empty right now!) and many students travelling outside of Cape Town for a short time.  These backpackers have had a clear objective--see as much of South Africa in as short of a time as possible to optimize the experience.  Then there are the surfers--some have been travelling the world for years chasing the best swell.  Others break up their real lives with 2-3 month surfing excursions.  These guys are serious: early to bed, early to rise to catch the dawn swell.   All travelers seem to have a story and right now, I struggle with this.

For me, defining my objective is not black and white because, frankly, I'm not sure what my objective is.  I recently read The Social Animal by David Brooks (recommended read) which is about our unconscious and how it controls our every decision.  Part of the book refers to creating stories to match experiences that have already occurred thereby justifying that experience, and in my case, I think that unless I find a clear objective soon, I'll look back on this time and provide myself more of an explanation of travelling versus an objective to start with.  But is an objective necessary?  Is it OK to wander certain times in your life.  There are many people who find my wandering selfish, and I too struggle with the idea that I'm currently living a purely selfish lifestyle.  Everything about what I'm doing right now is for me, for nothing and no one else.  I meet people who are struggling with certain parts of their travels and I find myself telling them to think hard about what they want because travelling should be about nothing more than what they hope to get out of it.  Don't think about others, think about the experience that you want.

Is this incredibly selfish?  Or is a way of personal growth?  Many people would scoff at the thought of "personal growth", Americans in particular.  I remember when the movie Eat, Pray, Love came out and how so many people loved the movie but found the main character incredibly selfish.  Is self-exploration selfish?  I think not.  Instead, I believe that it is crucial to understand yourself and make your own opinions of the world and those around you, that way you best understand how you can fit in in a way that you contribute your best to society.

I do feel a bit selfish at times, and I hear my mom saying, "why can't you 'zen' yourself at home with your family?"  My answer is-- I could.  And it's not that I don't want to spend time with my family, but in order for me to grow personally, I know that I need to explore, learn from others, understand what is important to me in life.  In a few short months, I start medical school and for the next four years, I intend to be a dedicated student; however, after spending this time travelling, I know that my dedication will come from the life experiences I've had.  I love travelling and meeting others, but there is a definite void in my trip, a void of interacting with locals and feeling that I am leaving a place better than when I arrived.  By going to medical school, I know that I will feel more complete, for I will be able to use the depth of my experiences to make better decisions, respond better under stress, and interact more comfortably with my colleagues, peers, and strangers.

So.. to the question, what is the objective of your travels?  My objective is personal growth.  My objective is to wander and to question life, question existence, question purpose... and to have a really cool time along the way.  I hope that everybody can have some time in their lives for the self-exploration, whether it be travelling, or within your everyday life, for the time I have had has been crucial in the shaping of my being.