As one of my childhood heroes, Dr. Who, was fond of saying, "travel broadens the mind." Going about puts you in touch with new environments, allows you to meet new kinds of people, to feel the pulse of other ways of life. You can live your entire life in one country, one state, even one city. Many people do and are quite happy. But there are things to be seen and experienced that go beyond anything that television or books can bring you. Life itself seems a different thing after one has seen more of what it offers people living in different cultures and different parts of the world. And in many ways one is led to a greater understanding of - and appreciation for - the ordinary things back home.
So, if you've ever dreamed of seeing another land, of experiencing another culture, my advice is to go for it - and don't let circumstances get in the way; they will work out.
As my own attempt to provide inspiration, here is a photo essay describing four months I spent shoestring-traveling around Asia in the spring and summer of 1993, and here's a record of a weekend camping trip down to Baja California, and another of a 5-day backpacking trip to California's Sierra Nevada.
Lately I've been doing a few motorcycle trips and now live in Scandinavia.
More photos from my travels can be seen here.