For the first 21 years of my life, my summers consisted of couch vegetation and extended bike rides. This summer, however, I traded those habits for plane tickets and tanks of gas.

      My summer travels have already taken to me to Kansas City, Mo., down the mighty Kansas River, and as far north as New York. Next weekend I’m going to Lubbock, Texas.

        There is something about seeing new places that stimulates my intellect. I just would not be able to consider myself a well-rounded person if I only experienced cultures within 10 minutes of home.

        The last time I traveled this much was my sophomore year of high school. I lived in Israel that year and saw as much as I could afford.

        When I moved back to the U.S., I thought it would be possible to take a trip anywhere within the states. But I was wrong.

    It is just as easy to get in a car and drive from Manhattan to Denver as it is to get in a car and drive from Tel Aviv, Israel to Cairo, Egypt.

        With all my trips, there are a few negative aspects of traveling most people do not enjoy. It is often difficult for people to get away.

    Work, school — we get so busy it’s hard to pull ourselves away. But more often than not, we need those breaks to refresh our minds and bodies and start another school year.

    Another downfall to traveling is the amount of money you typically spend. I often hear people say they do not want to take a vacation because of the costs. However, the saying goes; You can not make an omelet without cracking some eggs.

    The same is true with traveling. You cannot have a good time unless you are willing to shell out some dough. The key is to pick your battles — choose to fly, perhaps, but then stay with friends instead of getting a hotel room. Or you could pack some Kraft Easy Mac rather than eat out for every meal. 

    Just do not forget that spending a little of your cash frivolously can make your trip more memorable.
    When I visited New York City last weekend, I discovered that vendors charge $8.50 for a beer at Yankee Stadium. But I ended up buying a few and enjoyed my trip that much more.

    The third, and what I believe to be the most important, aspect of traveling is participation. In other words, do as much as you can reasonably do, while still allowing yourself time to reboot.

    Last Saturday, I saw countless New York City sights like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, simply because my family and I were not afraid to get out there and travel around the city looking for adventure.

    So, don’t let time, money or passiveness stop you from traveling and experiencing life. You’d better hurry, through, because summer 2008 is almost over, and then it’s back to the books for all of us.


Eric Davis is a senior in print journalism. Please send comments to edge@spub.ksu.edu.