I remember the first time I ever flew on an airplane. It was a big deal. This was during the era when it was expected that you got a little dressed up for the flight. It was also the era when smoking was allow on airplanes and I have to be honest that I don’t miss that. What I do remember about that flight was the absolute wonder that this giant tube of metal could actually defy all that gravity has to offer and actually get up into the air!

I would never have known back then that I would find myself decades later flying over 100,000 miles a year to countries all over the globe. This year alone I will be on five different continents and I have to acknowledge that I am super blessed that I get the incredible opportunity to do what I do. I am asked all the time if I am tired of traveling so much. The answer is no. Here are the top three reasons why, after all these years, I still love to travel.

1) Travel reminds me that I need to embrace the different. I get it that people fear what they do not understand. That is a part of the human condition. However, that does not mean that we should let it cause us to live in fear of people that are different than us. I was recently in Nairobi, Kenya. I was sitting in a restaurant while I was there where I was only one of the few white people in that restaurant. This is an amazing experience because I live in white suburbia. Being in that restaurant allows me to see my world differently. I have had similar experiences when I am in a country that is predominately Muslim, or in a country that is significantly poorer than where I live, or when I have to navigate public transportation in a language that is not Latin based and uses a weird script that I have no clue how to read.

Different does not equal bad…it just equals different. Embrace the beauty of different.

2) Travel reminds me that Joy can be found in the most difficult of situations. I live in abundance. I have more than enough food, water and even a house for my car. I am inundated every day with advertising that tells me that I need more in order to be happy. That’s the key word: Happy. In my culture, happiness is equated with having everything I want. It fails to cultivate gratitude as a value.

When I think back to so many places I have traveled to, I am haunted by the joy that is found in the laughter and smiling faces of people that live in shacks made of corrugated metal and cardboard. I have seen joy in the faces of kids that are savoring the one meal that they will have for that day. I have seen joy in the faces of women that are learning how to make a living in a way that allows them the option to not have to sell their body. I see joy in the dances and music that permeates the air in a rural village that will never be in a National Geographic special. These faces of joy remind me to purposely cultivate gratitude and value what matters most.

3) Travel reminds me to not to miss out on the amazing experiences in my own backyard. I live in a part of the country that has an economy that is fueled by tourism. We are where people go to find refuge from winter. It can be easy to forget that there are amazing opportunities, cultural experiences and people right where I live. It seems like a missed opportunity to travel to amazing places all over the world and miss out on how travel can remind me to open my eyes when I am at home. I am especially grateful for my friend Daniel who is a true foodie. He helped me to see how the world is right here waiting for me to experience flavors of their homelands. When I step into some of these restaurants, I feel in some ways like I have traveled to distant lands and can use these opportunities to catch a glimpse of the places they call home. I may not always be the most adventurous person when it comes to food, but I am a sucker for the stories they share.

My wife and I tried so hard when we raised our kids to instill into them to value different people and cultures. To see the world as an opportunity to explore and learn. To choose to not be afraid of the world, but to love how different is what makes us interesting. I believe that travel ultimately teaches us that despite all the differences, at the end of the day every person has a name, and every name has a story. We all want to be known and to be loved. I want to live the rest of my life traveling and learning from all the amazing places and people I meet.