Valentine’s Day Special

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase.

Love is in the air! It is Valentine’s Day once again. Weather you are celebrating or not, you can’t deny the love around you, all the hearts, flowers, the red colour, the romance. Oh well, here on Packing my Suitcase we are certainly celebrating it! Not that we need a day to show our love to someone, or something – which is our case – but it is nonetheless, a day when you… let’s say, celebrate love harder! Yeah!

If you are visiting this blog right now, it means that we certainly have something in common: the love for traveling. But how could we somehow show our love to traveling? Think, think, think… probably in the most simple way: declaring it in words! That is why I have asked some amazing travel bloggers out there, to answer a very simple question:

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase.

They opened up their hearts, and these are the very inspiring, breath taking and filled with love answers I have got…

“I love to travel because it satisfies my curiosity, I want to see the world with my own eyes, to experience another culture, to taste foreign dish and of course, to take pictures of places with my own lens.”

 Indah Susanti from Indahs: travel story and photography

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“I love to travel because it gives a sense of freedom while keeping you grounded at the same time. It connects you, to the world and to people. Travel is a great teacher and constantly highlights the importance of doing what you love. Travel is exhilarating. Travel is romantic. Also a source of inspiration, it fuels curiosity and drives the desire for learning. I love how this yearning for knowledge transcends into daily life.

Travel is a treat to all the senses – I get to see incredible landscapes and vistas. I hear the beautiful sounds of nature in the form of a waterfall and the sounds of faith and culture in the form of prayers from a religious site. I’ve felt the touch of the Earth; I’ve felt the ice from a glacier and moss in a lava field. I remember smells of the spices in a bazaar and of the fresh air in the middle of nowhere. And it’s no secret that I am always more than delighted to taste new exciting flavors and amazing food all over the globe.

Travel puts things into perspective and makes my problems seem small. It makes me appreciate my life and notice the wonderful things around me. I am grateful for travel, for I know it has changed me, touched my heart, moved my soul and how I view the world. “

Nita Gulati from Spilling the Beans

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“There are many reasons why I love to travel. However, the main reason would be that I meet new people from different countries. I learn from them, and their culture, ways and stories. I enjoy to live among the locals, and observe and take part in their daily life. Everywhere I have been to, people have always been so welcoming and kind to me. They have showed so much love, and made me a better person. So people, is the principal reason why I love to travel.”

Hanne Hellvik from People Places Stories

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“I see travelling as a way of escaping. Escaping the rat race and the mundane day-to-day. It gives me great pleasure and gives me impetus to work hard – because I know I have something to look forward to, the anticipation of a new adventure. It also allows me to dream of far-flung exotic destinations that I hope to see one day.

Travel is so rich in rewards. You don’t have to journey far in order to benefit from it. Seeing different places, learning about other cultures, tasting new foods, only enhances a person’s character because it enriches the soul – makes a person more open, more receptive to new experiences and grateful for what they already have.

But best of all, it creates new memories. It bonds you with the moment you’re in for ever and with the people you are with – whether it’s an amazing historical site or a sunset over the sea; a delicious meal or even a funny story, these snapshots of time cannot be brought.

Travelling is my passion and the world and its people will never ever cease to amaze me.”

Ting from My Travel Monkey

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase.

“I love traveling because it helps me forget. I’m a pretty typical twenty-something young adult. Like many people in my generation, I have absolutely no clue of what I want or where I am going in life. My quarter-life crisis started back when I was 20. Since that point I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out what it is I actually want out of life. Did I want to go back to school, do I value a job, a house, a steady income, should I start volunteering, work retail, become a nurse, not become a nurse and instead become a designer?

For four straight years I have been living in a self-created hell of indecisiveness. Four years later, I still have no clue what I’m doing. But for the first time, I am completely okay with it. While traveling I feel in my guts that the direction I’m headed and the path I’m on is the right one.

While abroad I’m allowed to experience things and meet people I would have never dreamed about. I still have no clue what I want out of life, where I’m going, or what I want to be when I “grow up”, but I’m out here enjoying the world, I’m too busy living life to remember just how lost I really am.”

Derek from The Migrant Expats

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“Over the years traveling has become my biggest hobby, which borders on obsession. I’ve been constantly planning the next big trip and the occasional city trips or weekend breaks on the side, spend hours and hours on end researching and figuring everything out. This should adequately emphasize the significance of traveling in my life.

Going on vacation for me is an escape from the daily grind, which more often than not lacks the excitement I find while being on the road. During my years of study I had quite a lot of time to travel but not too much money, now I’m working and limited to a few weeks vacation per year. Traveling more extensively without rushing around is something I would like to make happen again sometime in the not too distant future.

Another aspect I really love about traveling is that it is something unique I can share with my husband. For us, experiencing something new together is the best thing ever. I absolutely love getting to know different places and meeting the locals, especially since only they can give you the real experience not found in a guide book or the internet.”

Marc from The Migrant Expats

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase

“Many people claim travel as a pastime, but in my opinion it is so much more than “something I do in my free time”. Travel is transformative. To meet and to live among people of other cultures, to experience the lifestyles and the history of foreign places changes the traveller in a big way. You begin to understand and appreciate the things you have in your home country, as well as the things available in other countries.

By visiting another country, you are expressing the desire to learn about that country, and by wishing to learn about a place you accept its legitimacy. In short, by travelling, we are accepting that there are other lifestyles just as legitimate as our own. And we allow those other lifestyles to influence the way we live our own lives, whether we are aware of the influence or not.”

Hayley from Savvy Girl Travel

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“For me there is nothing in the world quite as exciting as travelling. Exploring new places, being awestruck at incredible sights, making friends with locals and finding out all about their lives, trying delicious new foods, leaving all your responsibilities at home and just living in the moment, learning so much more than you ever could staying at home.

Even the stressful and tiring parts of travelling are still memories never to be forgotten. Long flights, delayed trains, not having a clue where you are but just getting lost and exploring anyway.

I love it. I love it all. I have fallen in love with so many places and have left little bits of my heart scattered in different corners of the world (mainly you, Africa!). I love every single part of travelling and seeing the world will always be my most favourite thing.”

Ayla from Mrs. Ayla’s Adventures

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase

“There is no easy or simple answer to this question. I travel to discover new places, new cultures, new food, to relax, to be inspired, to escape, to learn about myself, to appreciate the world we live in. I love the thrill I get whenever I research a destination and eventually click that “Book now” button. Travel is my drug and I don’t ever want to find a cure for this, unless that cure comes with sunny beaches or cities to explore. Ultimately though, I love to travel for the feeling I get each time.

Vlad from Eff it, I’m on Holiday

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“Travel opens our eyes on so many levels. We’ve learnt so much from travelling not only about the places we visit but also about ourselves. We’ve seen so many incredible things, tasted memorable cuisines and met amazing and talented people. How can we not love travel?! 

And from a lovey dovey Valentine’s Day perspective, we don’t buy each other presents on any of the major holidays or celebrations… our gift to each other is to travel, so we can experience new and different things together.”

David & Le from Wise Monkeys Abroad

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase

 Love is indeed in the air! Aren’t they in love with travelling? Why do I get the feeling that I agree with everything they said?

Thank you each one of you for putting so much love, passion and honesty in each one of your answers. We have different cultures, thoughts, speak different languages, live in different countries, like different food… but we all do share the same passion:

to Travel!

Happy Valentine’s Day

to all of you and may the travels continue…

Valentine's Day Special, by Packing my Suitcase

Now show some love… why do you love to travel?

About Allane

A Brazilian living in Germany. Married to Wolfi, mommy to Madu and Fitz, our Golden Retriever. Traveler, writer, photographer, diver, wine appreciator, dog Formula 1 fan. City girl, nature lover, believer of a better world one little change at a time.