Am I A Hodophile?
“One who loves to travel.”
We have traveled through thirty states, occupied hundreds of RV parks, visited countless locations, journeyed through a myriad of small towns, and popped into a variety of National parks — you would think this would qualify us as a Hodophile — one who loves to travel.
We are currently stationary for the summer months and the need to travel is constantly vibrating underneath the surface. To somewhat satisfy that need, we took a week and traveled up to the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia — without the Airstream. I realized immediately it wasn’t so much traveling I enjoyed, but Road Trips. As soon as we hit the road in the truck, I noticed how comfortable I was in the passenger seat, how at home I felt, and how the stress of life melted away with each mile.
This is where my memories start.
I concluded it stemmed from my childhood. My fondest childhood memories were of Sunday drives in the countryside or through the mountains. It was the exhilaration I felt as a child when we left the world I knew and discovered new places. I am not so much a Hodophile, as I am an Explorer. It is not the need to travel that I must fill, it is more like the need to explore.
“We travel, some of us, forever to seek other places, other lives, and other souls.” — Anais Nin
When we jumped on the full-time, RV bandwagon, it was more than just traveling from place to place — It was a journey of self. A journey of discovery. As well as, a journey for creating memories.
Was the purpose of being on the road to see places we had only dreamed of? Most definitely. Did we want to check off items on our bucket list? Oh, yeah. But the memories that stand out the most were the unexpected. The happenstance locations and drives that were not planned. It was the exploration of the unknowns, which created memories and fed the need to explore.
It’s not hard to compile a list of must-visit sights and attractions before you travel. The problem is, if you only focus your trip only on these types of places, you’ll miss some of the most important travel experiences out there: the ones that are born of spontaneity and happenstance. Just go somewhere. Just pick a place, get on the road and go. — Douwe Osinga, founder of the travel app Triposo
Travel is just a tool used to fill the need to find the next place to explore.
I guess I could be considered a Hodophile Explorer?
