Why do we want to travel as we live? When I think about it, it seems there isn't really a specific reason.

Sometimes, we just suddenly want to leave. When we do the same thing every day, the desire to 'stand in a different landscape' quietly rises within us. That feels like the beginning of travel. Just stepping away from our daily lives, breathing in unfamiliar air, and seeing the daily lives of people from different regions and countries can change our mood.

A close colleague of mine, a second-generation Filipino born in the United States, travels abroad every year and asked me where I would like to go.

When I get such a question, I always think of Paris. I haven't been there yet, but I imagine what it would feel like to stand in front of the Eiffel Tower. During the day, looking up at the towering steel structure under the blue sky, and at night, sitting on the grass with Parisian citizens under the sparkling lights, enjoying a picnic. Just thinking about it already makes me excited.

I also want to visit London. Walking along the Thames, admiring the historic buildings, taking a photo in front of Big Ben, avoiding dangerous neighborhoods, and imagining riding a red double-decker bus around the city. I think it would also be enjoyable to enter a pub and clink beer glasses with a stranger while having a casual conversation. London is said to have a classic atmosphere, and just thinking about standing in such a space makes me feel strangely good.

And one place I definitely want to visit someday is the Pyramids of Egypt. I've seen them countless times on TV or in documentaries, but what emotions would I feel when I see them in person? Looking up at that massive pile of stones that has stood silently in the desert for thousands of years, I think I would feel how small we are as humans and at the same time, how capable we are of achieving great things. As I look at the pyramids while feeling the desert wind, I might realize that the problems I've been worrying about until now might not be that significant after all.

I don't think travel is just about these special landscapes. When I travel alone, it becomes a time to converse with myself, and when I go with someone, it deepens our relationship. Every time I board a plane, I love looking out the window; the problems that seemed so big on the ground look very small when I'm above the clouds. In that moment, my heart feels light. Perhaps that's why people want to temporarily set down the weight of their daily lives through travel.

Of course, travel requires time and money.

So it's not always easy to go, but I believe travel is not a luxury but a necessary investment. A meal eaten on the street, a random photo taken, a few words exchanged with a local—these things stay in our memories for a lifetime. Even as time passes, recalling those moments brings a smile to my face.

Ultimately, the reason we want to travel is simple. We want to see new landscapes, breathe in unfamiliar air, and feel a little more alive within it.

I dream of standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, drinking beer in a pub in London, and being in awe in front of the Pyramids of Egypt someday. Just imagining it gives me strength. So today, I am filling my little bucket list in my heart, dreaming of the day I will stand there.