Find your #purpose – win with the Expedia Find Yours photo contest

What is the purpose of your life?  Does travel have a purpose?

For most people, travel is just one aspect of their lives.  It’s something people do for a couple of weeks or a month each summer.  It’s a summer vacation, a dream trip, an anniversary or honeymoon, or an item on your bucket list.

No matter what type of travel you enjoy, there is always some sort of purpose involved.  Maybe you need to get away and relax.  For some, they may want to spend more time with family and friends.

Regardless of where you go or what you do, travel has a purpose.

Every trip I’ve taken has taught me something about myself, helped me create memories, or helped me find those connections with others.  Travel has even taught me some important life lessons.

My travel story has a purpose.  However, my first big trip and my last trip in 2011 had the biggest impacts on my life.

Find Your Purpose – my travel story

The year was 1995 and I was a sophomore at the University of South Carolina.  That summer, I went to Estonia with a church group.  While I was there, I met people, learned a little bit of the language, and embraced the culture.

We spent a week in Tallinn and Tartu.  We talked to people on the streets, ate Estonian food, and walked the streets.  Tallinn and Tartu are historical and beautiful cities in Estonia.  However, I couldn’t tell you much about the sites, the cities, or the places.

I remember them.  However, that’s not what this trip was about.  I remember talking with an older Estonian man who didn’t know English while I didn’t know Estonian.  Yet we connected.  I spent three hours on a bus learning Estonian phrases I would never use again.  However, a friendship and connection with Ilmar made those three hours memorable and meaningful.

At the end of that trip, I was asked if I would spend a year in Estonia reaching out to the people.  My passion for the people, culture, and language was evident to everyone.  I went home a different person.

This shy, insecure, studious, quiet kid found a connection with a people, country, and culture.  Travel gave me a purpose.

In 2011, I found a new purpose through travel.  This year, the College Football Travel Tour story will travel across the nation.  However, it began in Seattle, went through Columbia, and found a home in Annapolis.

College football was a passion of mine growing up.  The travel passion was discovered in Estonia.  In 2011, I put both of those together as I went to college football games and explored college towns and cities.  In Annapolis, I found a new purpose with sports and travel.

Walking along the streets of Annapolis, I met locals, talked with Naval Academy students, and had goosebumps as I experienced a world that was meant for me.

No matter where you go, travel has a purpose.

On a honeymoon, you can spend a week at the beach but build memories with your spouse that will carry you through those tough times in marriage.

You may have dreaded those family vacations as a kid.  However, you connected with your family and laugh at the silly stories and memories from those trips.

You checked off a destination on your bucket list.  However, your heart was captured by the people that you met.

Travel isn’t just the destination.  It’s so much more than that.  Now it’s time to share your travels and what you find while you are there – your purpose.

Expedia Find Yours Travel photo contest

People love to travel.  Big cities, exotic destinations, adventure travel, historical sites.  However, as much as people love it, travel isn’t about the destination.

Expedia has a new campaign called “Find Yours.”  Travel is personal and includes your stories – not just the destinations.  Expedia wants you to tell your story – to “Find Yours.”  Through travel, I’ve found freedom, purpose, escape, and myself.

As part of the Find Yours campaign, Expedia is launching a Find Yours photo contest on Twitter.  10 bloggers are using a “Find Yours” word which people can tweet with that word’s hashtag and the #ExpediaFindYours hashtag.  Share your photos everywhere – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, your blog, wherever you may be.

Every blogger will be giving away a $250 travel voucher on Expedia.  One winner will receive 4 nights in Aruba at Bucati & Tara Beach Resort.  Tweet as often as you want with the hashtags July 11 – July 31 for a chance to win.

As one of the bloggers participating, I want you to tweet your travel photos with the word #purpose and #ExpediaFindYours hashtag for your chance to win.

You can also text your photo to 60856 with the word “Expedia”.

All of us have a purpose.  It’s fun when travel is a part of it.  I’ve shared mine so share yours.

Join the fun, tweet your photos, enter the photo contest.  Here’s the new video for Expedia’s “Find Yours” campaign so you can see it in action.

Find Yours photo contest

• To win the $250 travel voucher or 4 night stay in Aruba, tweet your photos with the hashtag #purpose and #ExpediaFindYours
• Contest runs July 11 through July 31 so share your photos to be entered to win

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