Published on July 23rd, 2015 | by Kara Byrne
Why We Travel
Why do we, as humans, choose to travel?
We do it because we love to. Or, because we’re genetically compelled to seek new experiences. That desire to take risks, that need for novelty, has been linked to the DRD4-7r gene (AKA the Wanderlust Gene). This gene encodes the D4 subtype of the dopamine receptor, responsible for many behavioural traits, which include novelty-seeking and willingness to embrace change. In short/layman’s terms, there is an allele (or mutation), that is responsible for this wonderful addition to about 20% of the population’s personalities, causing them to feel reward or pleasure (thank you dopamine), when exploring new surroundings.
How’s that for ‘allele‘ science lesson?
Because we have to.
Some of us travel everywhere, all the time, but not necessarily because we want to. We know there are many of you out there that spend more time in airports and hotels than you’d like, especially when you have a family at home. Our job is to understand that, and to do our best to ensure your trips are stress-free and as efficient as possible, so that you can get back to the things that really matter in life.
Because we need to.
Sometimes life wakes us up in the morning to a phone call that we all hope we never have to answer. Sometimes moms have to fight cancer. Sometimes grandparents need us and sometimes best friends turn left in an intersection a moment too soon. Sometimes life says we have to get somewhere, and we have to get there right now.
And sometimes life compels us to run away, to escape or to be anywhere else but where we are.
Maybe these aren’t the happiest moments in life, but they’re the ones we strive to be our absolute best in. When booking travel is a necessity and it’s the very last thing you can imagine doing, it’s the first thing we’re willing to take off your plate. Our jobs are as important as they are, because of you.
Because we haven’t quite figured out what else to do (or be).
The moment you board that plane, you effectively step out of the rat race. You relieve the pressure to move anywhere at a certain pace, to accumulate things, to choose a career path or acquire a life-long partner. You stop worrying about deciding who you are, and actually spend time developing the kind of person you’ll become.
Because someone told us it wouldn’t be smart to (and we knew better).
What if we told you there is someone currently attempting to be the youngest North American male to travel to every country in the world? You’d likely laugh, or say something along the lines of, “That’s ridiculous.” But then we’d tell you about Michael Graziano, who’s earning his Global Degree, and suddenly your disbelief would seem a lot sillier than his crazy ambition. Why? Because people like Michael G. are in on a little secret: When someone asks you at the end of your life what you valued most about your time on this earth, you probably won’t rattle off a list of possessions, a job title, or the number on your last bank statement, you’ll share your experiences. So, why not make those experiences the most fulfilling and life-changing they can possibly be? If someone tells you it isn’t smart, know that you know better.
Because we save every last penny to. And some of us work our whole lives to.
Some of us will/have spent 45 years earning the trip of a lifetime. A whole decade of freedom. A nearly never-ending honeymoon with a partner we’ve been just dying to see the world with. If you’ve spent years counting every penny, know that every penny counts to us.
Know that we know there are many reasons to travel , and we can’t tell you why you wanderlust or daydream or yearn to run away… but you can tell us.
You can tell us why you want to travel. Because, isn’t that where it all starts? Isn’t that where the story begins? See, we’re here for the story. For your story.
Because… we’re human too.
Want to know more about booking with Flight Centre? Be sure to check out 6 Reasons A Travel Agent is Better Than Any Search Engine.
About the Author
Kara Byrne is the Content and Social Media Manager for Flight Centre Canada. She is passionate about travelling the world and capturing all of her adventures along the way.
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