Guest Post: Eric Hansen // @hansenwithane

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A friend once asked my why I travel so much. This struck me as odd for a couple reasons. For one, I couldn’t fathom why someone would not be compelled to experience new and unknown places. The other part that boggled my mind was I didn’t think I traveled that much. At least in comparison to how much I’d like to.

In my mind, traveling and being a creative soul go hand-in-hand. Creative types are naturally curious, and the world is endless sandbox for those who follow their curiosity. At the same time, travel fuels creativity. Every new experience -- be it a breathtaking architectural marvel, an exotic taste, or an acute cultural observation – is potential inspiration. This inspiration may manifest itself in the form of an idea. Or it may arouse a new passion or pursuit, such as a newfound interest in street art.

I think a lot of people don’t travel often not because they don’t want to, but because they view it as too time-consuming or expensive. But that’s a narrow view. Exploring an unfamiliar place doesn’t have to be some grandiose jetsetter vacation. When I was in college and couldn’t afford to study abroad, I set a life goal for myself to visit one new place each year. On a good year, that may be a highly coveted international destination. In others, it simply means looking at a state map and picking an unexplored corner.

In reality, there are a lot of people that don’t have much interest in traveling. They don’t like leaving the comforts of home or dealing with the hassle. That’s just fine. But for those of us driven to collect experiences, there’s always time and money to do so, as long as a weekend is free and there’s enough cash in your wallet for a tank of gas. And who knows what will be born out of that little trip to Noveltown.