One of the many questions that I am asked by my students is "Why do you travel?" There are many answers, but the one that I think is most relevant comes from the editor of a travel magazine that I read regularly. The editor was visiting her mother in hospital once, when she started talking to an 80-year-old lady. She thought the old lady would have had wonderful stories to tell, except that the old lady said she never really accomplished all those things that she wanted to do when she was younger; travel, visit famous places, lead an adventurous and exciting life.

The editor wanted to know how did this happen, how could she allow 80 years to pass without achieving those things that she set out to do? The lady replied that it wasn't as if she planned to do nothing, it was just that life happened so fast. One minute she has just turned 20 and life was laid out before her, and then she was 30 years old, then 40 and 50, and the next thing she knew she was in hospital at 80 years of age with little time left. It happened that quickly.

When I read this story, it made me more determined to go out and do those things I want to do. I constantly hear from my friends back home (Australia) that they "don't have enough money," or they "have a family now and can't do the things they want to do," or "it's different for you, you have more freedom and money. " My reply is that they are just making excuses; they are creating their own barriers. If they're not happy with their lives and really wanted to do something different and enjoy life more, it's all out there waiting for them. They just have to make it happen.

So why do I travel? Well, life does happen quickly, and when I get to 80 years of age, I do not want to look back at my life and say, "I wish I did this..." or "I wish I did that..." I will look back and say, "I did do this and I did do that - and it was fun!"