Why travel matters
Since my youth, I have been curious about the world beyond the Korean Peninsula. Over time, that curiosity deepened into a longing to travel the world.
In pursuit of that longing, I embarked on a career as an international banker, a path that eventually led me to become an avid traveler.
To be more specific, my working life spanning 30-odd years was a succession of transfers. I relocated 11 times mostly crossing international borders to work successively in seven cities across four different countries. I also traveled to many parts of the world on business or for pleasure. In retirement, I go places, as I please. So far, I have set foot on all continents except Africa.
Based on my own experience, I would like to illustrate why travel matters. Above all, travel deepens our understanding of life. We can learn about many countries of the world through diligent reading. Yet what we learn from books remains merely intellectual. Travel brings our knowledge vividly to life. When we walk through the streets of unfamiliar cities and observe how people live in different countries, the world that once existed only in books takes on a concrete reality. Only then does life become more vivid and more fully understood.
Travel also broadens our perspective by taking us beyond the boundaries of familiarity. When we remain too long in a single environment, we tend to regard our own habits and values as natural or even universal. Travel challenges this sense of certainty. By placing us in settings where customs differ, languages are unfamiliar and ways of thinking vary, it reminds us that there are many ways to live and to interpret the world. This realization fosters humility. It also encourages us to reflect more carefully on our own beliefs.
Every journey holds the promise of discovering something new. Sometimes the discovery is external: a breathtaking landscape, a historic landmark or a cultural tradition shaped by centuries of history. At other times, the discovery is inward. Distance from the routines of everyday life creates space for reflection. Away from familiar surroundings, we find it easier to reassess earlier experiences and think more clearly about the direction of our lives. In this sense, travel becomes both an outward exploration and an inward journey.
On a personal note, travel is also closely connected to my writing. I find that it provides both inspiration and substance. Beyond what I see and hear, thoughts that arise along the way have also become material for my writing. Most of the travel essays I have written about my journeys have been contributed to The Korea Times, and a collection of them has been compiled into a book form. That book is “Tales of a Modern-Day Nomad.”
Indeed, it was my good fortune to have the opportunities and means to travel the world to my heart’s content. I regard each journey as a privilege to be appreciated. It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I embark on my travels.
In the end, travel is not merely about visiting new places. It is about learning, reflecting and growing as a person. The memories I have gathered over the years will remain with me for a lifetime, and the joy of exploring the world is something I will always cherish.
Lee Hyon-soo is a retired international banker based in Toronto, Canada and the author of “Tales of A Modern-day Nomad,” among other books.