Why does anyone travel at all?

In my reading exercise for my first week, I was required to read an article titled “Why We Travel” by Pico Iver Journeys.

A quote that struck me was “We live without a past or future, for a moment at least, and are ourselves up for grabs and open to interpretation.”.

This line resonated with me. Every time I travel, it was a journey as much on the inside as the outside. Travelling evidently brings new sights and sounds, expanding our range of experiences. But we are also put in an environment where the individuals around us do not have an expectation on how we should act. There are no compatriots around us to regulate our behaviour and there are no friends nor family around us to check our actions. We are open to act in a way without repercussion. Who is to say that we might turn out to be more resourceful or confident than we previously thought? We could discover in ourselves a different side to our identity, laying dormant, just waiting for the opportunity to manifest into our conscious self.

As of now, I am studying as an international student in Melbourne. Initially, I pictured myself enjoying the sights and scenery that Melbourne has to offer. After a year however, the sights and scenery of Melbourne is not what I celebrate about studying abroad. What I celebrate is the overcoming cultural barriers between me and the locals, living alone, managing my finances, planning my leisure activities, and fashioning out my own principles to life. I enjoy being a different person. When I develop communication skills in the Australian culture, I am doing so without the deep-seated habits of my original culture. I feel more confident now, as the foreign environment has shaped into a more complete, more versatile person.