Travel is commonly defined as people "going from one place to another on a trip or a journey." The word travel originated from the Middle English word "travailen", which, in turn, came from the French word "travailler" (travail). There are number of reason that people travel. Some travel for recreation as tourists. The trip may be recreational, or the travel may be a necessary investment to get to a desired destination.
Many people travel at all times of the year to visit family or friends. This type of travel is particularly important during certain religious holidays like Christmas, Hanukah, Easter, Passover, Ramadan, or Tet.
Thousand of people around the globe travel as part of their business life. In an attempt to find new clients, attend important meetings, search for new opportunities, provide needed services to existing clientele, there are literally hundreds of reasons that people travel for business purposes.
Likewise, millions upon millions of people commute--traveling to various activities, such as work, school or meetings. A large number of these specific travelers use public transportation (transit)which includes bus or trolley bus, streetcars or trolley cars, subways or elevateds, railroads, ferryboats, and taxicabs. Millions of other commuting traveler drive private vehicles or perhaps ride bicycles to their destination.
Another reason to travel is a migration--travel to begin life somewhere else such as nomadic people are prone to do. But millions of people move each year without being nomadic. They are simply starting a new life in a different location. People move for a multitude of reasons. Whether it is for better employment opportunities, to gain additional education, or to be closer (or perhaps further) from family members are some of the reasons that people move.
A final type of travel is for religious purposes, called a pilgrimage. One of the most recognized is the travel of thousands of Moslems to Mecca for the annual Hajj. Similar pilgrimages would be Christians traveling to Bethlehem for Christmas services and visiting Rome for Easter prayers.
No matter what your personal reason for traveling, modern methods of transportation have taken much of the "trevail" out of seeing our world.
|