A while back I entered a travel writing contest. The required title and theme of the 200 word essay was Why I Travel. Grand Prize was 10 grand. Photos and videos illustrating the theme were encouraged. I marinated on the topic and finally wrote my 200 words. I spent hours creating a video and recording the words of my composition. I was so certain I would win, I expended loads of time daydreaming about the 30-day trip I would take to the British Isles using the $10,000 prize.

The winner announcement date of May 31, 2015 came and went. My work wasn’t selected. But I am proud of my efforts and happy to share my Why I Travel video and written essay (below video).

Why I Travel

Travel has been a lifelong hunger implanted and nurtured by my Mother. Her nickname for me was Mary Go. Our trips together seldom had a plan or specific destination. Mom gave me control of the map and I selected our route and stops. My choices could be based on curious names, or familiar landmarks and attractions. On a trip from Southern California to Salinas, I took us through the San Francisco Bay Area – I wanted to cross the Dumbarton Bridge. The year Route 66 debuted on television a summer nomadic adventure evolved. History often guided my selections. Galveston beckoned after hearing about life there during the war. Robber’s Cave in Oklahoma had no bad guys, just great exploring.

My travel hunger has persisted since those early explorations. I can be packed and ready to go without hesitation and little or no itinerary. Today I am enticed to travel by sights, sounds, fragrances, textures, food, music and art. I’m inspired and energized by wildlife, history, architecture, geology and especially people. My enchantment with travel has flourished and matured since those childhood sojourns, but one thing hasn’t changed – the hunger – it can only be satisfied by going.