This ginormous planet has so many whimsical corners to explore. We buy tickets daydreaming of fantastic sights, delicious food, and beautiful people. We pack cameras and flip through guidebooks and ask our friends for recommendations.

But why do we travel?

This subreddit has been indispensible in covering the who, what, where, when, and how of globe trekking, but I'm curious to hear why. What gets you excited? What do you take away from each trip? What did you learn? What surprised you? What did you learn about yourself?

I'll start. I am an American. Growing up, I didn't get many opportunities to travel, but was always envious of the photos and tales my friends would bring back from their adventures abroad. I decided also that travel was a distraction from studies and building my career.

That said, as I faithfully followed my career path, I found that I was unhappy with life at home. I began to question some of the assumptions I made about life -- what was all this hard work accomplishing? What good is coming of chasing this "American Dream" I keep hearing about? I've been told to work hard all my life, and it was implied that happiness would follow.

It didn't.

Unsatisfied by the traditional methods of stress relief from my job (drinking, partying, weekend trips, general hedonism), and inspired by some of my friends' stories, I decided to quit my job and go on my first solo trip. I picked New Zealand, since I'm an outdoors type.

I realized while planning for this first journey that I wasn't really sure how to go about it. How many cities should I visit? How long should I stay? How do I get around? How do I meet people? Should I go for party hostels? A trip is a big, empty canvas, and it's hard to know how to paint it. I asked for some advice from friends and made a lot of shot-in-the-dark decisions about things. Some worked out beautifully, others poorly.

In the process, I learned a lot about what works for me when traveling, and reapplied that when planning for my next solo trip through Europe. Though more familiar with the flow of traveling (booking tickets, visas, hostels, transportation), I made still more mistakes. I picked too many places overall, found myself in places I didn't like, and planned too little time in the places I did.

I'm now on a third solo trip to Thailand, where I have decided to stay in one place (Chiang Mai) for several months, with a few excursions to punctuate my stay. This has been my best trip so far. Staying in one place for longer meant I could establish a deeper connection with locals, connect with the expat community, and work on some hobbies along the way. I take a Muay Thai class and meditate every day, while exploring Chiang Mai's many beautiful temples and waterfalls. In connecting with locals, I see interesting differences between a more communal Thai culture and a more individualized American culture. Americans (and myself) drive themselves crazy with the rat race, and that seems to be mostly absent from Thailand.

Sitting down and reflecting on my travels, I began to realize something. Learning how you like to travel is learning about yourself -- who you are and what you value. If you like hostel jumping every few days, maybe you're an outgoing person who likes to meet people from all around the world and see as much as you can. If you like to settle in places for longer, perhaps you're the more introspective type, happy with making fewer but deeper connections. Some prefer the calm of the countryside, others the bustle of a foreign city, and still others hunt for a happy medium. Traveling has taught me a lot about who I am and who I'd like to be, and has made me the happiest I've been at any point in my life. These are invaluable lessons I am confident will serve me whether abroad or back in the States.

I'm curious to hear what you have gained through your experiences.