why we travel

I used to read the New York Times online somewhat religiously, until they changed their online subscription policy (unlimited access previously; now you can only read 20 articles per month). Now I read the occasional article, mostly when a headline catches my eye--I still receive email notifications about articles relating to Italy, interior design, and architecture. Among other things.

The NYT recently published a series of essays written by readers about travel. Reading through them, some of them really resonated with me, as I've seen how experiencing living in or visiting a new place opens your eyes to the world around you and not just to the locale where you find yourself.

My favorite essays were: "Rome: Vision of the Pietà," "New York, via Indonesia," "A Bit of Brazil in Haiti," "Rome With New Eyes," "Intertwined in Mississippi," and "At Home in Kabul."

"A Bit of Brazil in Haiti" made me laugh, because while I've been in Italy, my roommate Alexa has passed on to me her obsession with Bollywood films (a genre of Indian films). Italian DVDs don't work on our computers, so while we take advantage of any opportunities to watch Italian TV, I've loved learning about another culture through watching some of their movies.

The other essays captured so well some of the things I've experienced: changing points of view, the people you meet, the process of planning travel and what it entails. Above all, I think this collection of essays beautifully captures how travel helps us to understand ourselves, to see the world and our experiences through a different lens.