The Best Reason to Travel? Love

As we head into the summer travel season, I think it’s a good time to think about what we want to gain from our adventures (other than great Facebook updates.) For me, one of the best upshots of travel is how it expands our capacity to love.

What I mean is that when we travel, we gain perspective into the lives of others – sometimes strangers, sometimes our companions. When we learn about others’ lives, we grow in our own.

As head of a company that caters to travelers, I’m lucky to benefit from a constant education. My colleagues and I have learned – and keep learning – how best to welcome people from every country, ethnicity and walk of life.

We also learn from our own associates, like Talisha Padgett-Matthews, who loves to travel with her wife – they are pictured above, Talisha on the left — and provides perspective on gay travelers like her. Other associates have expanded our understanding of the gorgeous and elaborate elements of a traditional Indian wedding, the joy of an African American family reunion, the differing definitions of the word “family.”

These are priceless lessons – to see the world from another point of view. Even if only for a week or day or moment.

Maybe, as many of us cross paths this summer, we can bring home a new perspective, a new idea or a new friend. I hope to.

Share your journey #LoveTravels

Related Link: Whoever You Are Wherever You Go

Photo: Braden Summers for Marriott
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