Is travelling only for the sad and lonely?

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Michael Booth, in Just As Well I'm Leaving , describes Hans Christian Andersen's travels thus:

(page 90)

"Throughout his life, he would travel to stay a step ahead of his sorrows, his memories bringing little comfort."

I used to think that travelling was only for the adventurous but lately, I'm starting to come around to the idea that travel is more a form of escape - certainly in my own case?

See also: http://www.artfreaks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=62 , where we get another side to Hans Christian andersen's travelling and a famous poem by Jose Rizal (and a load of rubbish by yours truly!!)

I've also started a bit of a travelogue of my own at:

http://artfreaks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=69

What do you think about travelling?

Do you like to travel - or stay close to home?

If you like travelling to far off places, what spurs you on?