Why Travel?

Travel isn’t just a journey from point A to B and back again. To travel is to embrace the unknown, accept fear, and display vulnerability. Growing up I had the opportunity to explore alot within my cultural bubble. I was privileged to frequently travel around my home province of Ontario, and to bordering US States. These trips taken with my family involved relaxing by a pool, sitting by a lake, and enjoying sporting events. As a kid these trips were all I needed in terms of travel and worldly experiences. While fulfilling at the time, these trips didn’t allow me to expand my cultural horizons. Constantly interacting with the same types of people and similar environments didn’t allow me to gain an understanding of what the rest of the world was like. By staying within a certain radius I could feel comfortable, and maintain a healthy status quo.

As I aged and gained life experience I began to yearn for new experiences. This feeling reached its apex in 2021, at the tale end of COVID and following the sudden passing of my mother. It was at that time that I realised just how short life can be and how wasting time, and waiting for opportunities or emotions to come to you is illogical. In the past vulnerability and embracing fear was something I shyed away from in my everyday life, but now, I realised that vulnerability and fear were positive signs that are to be welcomed. By being vulnerable and using fear, I could place myself in a position to enter the unknown and grow as a person. Without taking risks I would never have anything to lose or gain.

This new found mindset motivated me to take the leap and move to Australia. I remember my Dad dropping me off at the airport, knowing that I wouldn’t be back for atleast 10 months. In the moment I was fearful, but I knew that I was making the right decision. What was meant to be a 10 month trip turned into 3+ years of living abroad. In those 3 years I have seen and experienced things I never would have if I never took the leap. I have seen an opera at the Sydney Opera House, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, jumped out of a plane, and met wonderful people from all over the world. People that have changed my perspectives on humanity as a whole.

Through travel and experiencing different cultures I have realised how similar everyone is, and how we all want the same things out of life. I have met extraordinary people from Canada, The USA, Central America, South America, Africa, Europe, The Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, South East Asia, and Australia. To travel is to gain an understanding of people, and how every culture fits into a larger world.

Overall, travel isn’t just about ticking items off a bucket list. It is about the time spent between. It is about embracing new values, having conversations with strangers, making temporary friendships, trying new things, and making yourself uncomforatable. It is about being open to change, both in your ideologies and thoughts. It is about knowing that when you return home, if you ever do, that it likely hasn’t changed as much as your perspectives.

I hope with Boomerang I can help people embrace the unknown, accept fear, and display vulnerability.

At the end of the day that is the point.