Why do we do it?

A question gets asked among backpackers...what's your reason for going travelling in the first place?

For some it's a gap year before they go to uni, or a time to find themselves, others it's an escape, some it's purely just a desire to see the world.
For many there seems to be a common reason. Most of us seem to be running from something. Wether it's from the people we left behind, or just the place itself? Or is it the memories that it holds that haunt us. We all just want to get as far away as possible. Why is this?

I frequently ask myself why I decided to come travelling? What spurred the incentive to pack up my life and all (well some) of my things into a backpack and just leave? Other than the uppermost urge to travel and experience a new way of life.
But in all honestly I can't remember the exact reasoning of why, but I guess it was influenced by not having a freaking clue what I want to do with my life. The feeling of pressure and stress that came with trying to make that decision was just too much and I couldn't make the choice at that time. I wasn't entirely happy with the way things were going...So what better way to ignore everything and put off that decision for a year and to move half the way across the world to la-la land where none of your troubles exist...except you couldn't be more wrong...Troubles follow you wherever you go, they're always in the back of your mind niggling away. One thing I have learnt this year is that a place isn't going to make you happy, it's not got the magical powers to take all the crap away that you ran away from.

So embrace the time you have while you're away and don't forget to stop and look around at what you've achieved and what a truly beautiful country you've been blessed with the opportunity to be in.