Everyone travels for a different reason and often it is the uniqueness of our travel experiences that makes them so special.

When asked why they travel, New York Times readers responded with a wide range of opinions and experiences, all of which give a fascinating insight into the motivations behind our urge to travel.

For Emily Cavan, the joy of travel is immersing yourself in a new culture, even if this is not the one you set out to discover: “thinking I would learn about earthquakes, I came to Haiti, where, within two weeks, I was studying capoeira, a Brazilian combination of dance and martial arts.”

For Cavan, the beauty is in the unexpected: “Who knows what you will find when you travel? Who knows what you are really looking for? When you travel you are simply saying: “Show me. I want to know. I am willing to see.”

Seasoned traveller Elizabeth Brady Woods, believes the best thing about travel is its ability to teach you more about the world around you. On a recent visit to Rome, she was amazed by the history and culture on show: “It was transporting and at the same time managed to put my own existence into context. It is the history of humankind all in one place, almost. Travel is to measure oneself within the world we live. It is to learn the truth of one’s existence here on earth.”

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