Since the beginning of history man has been traveling. The word “travel” can be traced back to the English word “travail”, originating around the 13th century. This Anglo-French term, in a broader sense, refers to torment, labor, as well as journey.
Throughout the centuries traveling (or travelling) incorporates various types of ventures. There is travel for the purpose of photography, recreation, family and holiday visits, tourism, charity, religious pursuits, business, commuting, and romance!
For thousands of years we have traveled on foot, by horseback, wagon, and boat, and more recently by train, bicycle, automobile, bus, airplane, and cruise ship.
As the name implies, for many centuries “travail” suggested hardship and effort. Today, by contrast, the word travel suggests leisure, renewal, and romance. This shift seems to have a great deal to do with the ease and affordability that are now associated with the excitement of personal journeys and romantic adventure.
The world has become an open book. There are few places today that remain inaccessible. While just a few decades ago travel across the ocean was an expensive and often arduous event, today many people are able to hop on a jet or a cruise ship and be literally swept away for thousands of miles.
From local, to provincial, to world-wide travel, the options are as limitless as the imagination. While most international travel requires a passport, with foresight and planning the possibilities are immeasurable.
Travel and technology have reduced the size of the world; brought couples and families together, changed lives, and created a multitude of possibilities.
Travel is often a combination of ventures, utilizing various forms of transportation. It is not unusual today for people to have more than one home on more than one continent.
Along with travel there are a variety of considerations such as: accommodations, packing, weather conditions, clothing, vehicular travel (licensing regulations), currency exchange rates, language, and culture.
Before setting out on your next trip in order to avoid “travail”, become informed, learn as much as you can about your destination(s), and prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime!