Let's Go to Holland: A Toast to Travel

Salutations everybody. A most sincere Happy New Year to you all at home in the US, abroad, and on whatever plane, train, automobile, or random futon you may find yourself at the moment.

Home for me is now Oostzeedijk (pronounced 'oh-shay-dyke) 164C, not more than a mile from the Woudestein campus of Erasmus University and the (apparently?) highly-esteemed Rotterdam School of Management.

 It's indeed strange to now be calling Rotterdam my home, since there is certainly a difference between a house and a home. It's become increasingly clear to me that a 'home' is not so much a physical place, but a state of mind; one which implies a comfortable, productive environment conducive to personal growth and social openness.

But I digress. This inaugural post is a celebration of the innumerable freedoms afforded by world travel, not an argument on semantics. First of all, I would not be inspired to regularly document my world travels via this blog if it wasn't for the awe-inspiring love and support of my family, friends, and professors. Writing probably ranks among the top of my list of passions, alongside Bob Ross reruns, Nutella, and music. Naturally, one's passion is easily directed towards things we find fulfilling and stimulating; however, there is a distinct pleasure to be found in exploring, studying, and mastering the unknown.

As an international business major, it is this insatiable need to see the world for myself, free from the positive/negative biases of others, which sustains my desire to grow not only intellectually, but to evolve as a twenty something college student a mere year away from leaving the comparatively secure confines of an American university.

So first, why I love traveling. If we can agree that perception is reality, and more so, that traveling alters our perception, it then only stands to reason that traveling alters our reality. The magic of travel is its ability to take all of our preconceived notions of success, morality, politics, nationality, and personal position in the world, and flip it upside down. Travel takes away the metaphorical bars of the myopic jail cell we instinctively imprison ourselves in, and instead, shows us a sprawling, pastoral, lush world full of opportunity.

Sure, the world is a dangerous place. Try reading a newspaper without coming across some lengthy column detailing the gruesome consequences of an Al-Qaeda operative martyring himself in the streets of Baghdad. Or the deplorable atrocities committed each day in the name of religion, social justice, or political legitimacy. To pretend that Earth is full of nothing but good people is optimistic, but pragmatically naive. Conversely, to pretend that the world is full of nothing but evil people hellbent on committing evil acts inherently makes us fear what we only scarcely know.

I love traveling because it allows us to give others the benefit of doubt. To see things through a different lens. Through travel, we can discover what makes one man's suicide bomber another man's freedom fighter. We can discover why people do what they do from an economic standpoint. We can discover where we, as individuals, have erred in our perceptions, and also, how we can correct those perceptions to more profoundly experience, and learn from, the magnificently diverse collective consciousness of mankind.

Reading from my handy-dandy book of cliches, how many people simply exist, rather than live? How many people put off traveling- whether it be for financial, logistical, or personal reasons- and become mired in the comfort of a 9:00am to 5:00pm job, of a ho-hum marriage, of a one-track mind only focused on the next paycheck, the next holiday with in-laws, the next bill to pay?

I'm by no means holier-than-thou in this regard. Part of traveling demands respecting the specific circumstances of any individual. Travel is not for everyone, but if there's anything I've learned in my nascent time on this planet, it is that fortune favors the brave. Admiral Nelson once said, "Harbors rot ships and men" and at any rate, I can scarce imagine a more fulfilling way to live my life than in pursuit of the Thoreau-esque "marrow" of life. I may incur a few scars. I'll definitely make mistakes. I might stare death in the eye. But at the very least, when all is said and done, I can sleep easy knowing, in the words of the great Teddy Roosevelt, that my soul shall never be amongst those cold and timid souls who know neither victory, nor defeat.

This is the commencement of my Wanderlust, and I definitely look forward to sharing it with you all. Coming up next, a post on my travels to Amsterdam and Delft, as well as more on my experience here, at home, in Rotterdam. Until next time compadres. Thanks for reading.