Why I Travel

I've recently come to ask myself why I travel. Having procured all requirements for my next trip including tickets, hostel reservations and good health, I've come to desire a travel philosophy.
Do I travel for escape? For experience? As a hobby? To rejuvenate? Yes, yes, yes and yes. The truth is, there is never a single reason for most anything. On a slow day I may want to travel in order to escape; whereas seeing a documentary will encourage me to experience a different culture or location. On any given day it can change but the desire remains.
I prefer solo travel. Why you might ask? I like moving on my own clock. Many friends spoke of their fear of traveling alone. I have never totally understood this fear. I see how new places can be intimidating, but do they fear this unfamiliarity or do they simply fear being alone? Either way, I meet more people and experience locations most profoundly when I'm solo.
While traveling may serve as a vacation, it can also serve to test your ability to think independently, think on your feet and increase confidence in decision making. In conclusion, I travel for freedom. Rather than have the world come to me through television screens, newsprint and photography, I want to see the world in person. Many people say they wish to do the same; but often spend money on the technology needed to import the world onto their screens, rather than using their resources to see the world with their own eyes.
I have heard people say that everything they need is here, in their hometown or country. I agree that the Western world is often self-sustaining. But what is wrong with a slight detour here and there? Why must everything be tangible, pragmatic and rely on a straight path between point A and point B? I suppose there is no simple philosophy to travel for most anyone. As more me, well... my philosophy will always remain under construction.