Why travelling is important

A question that surfaces every now and then is that about travelling when you are on the path to peerage and why that is important.

For me the short answer is that travelling will expose you to different situations and people. It is a tool to give you the contacts, abilities and knowledge to be a peer.

The long answer.  

Travelling will give you exposure and make you known in the bigger pond outside of your local area. Travelling will give you perspective on your art, service or martial ability by meeting others and seeing what they are doing, in some way travelling will show you where you are in your field of interest. I think that the easiest example to describe this are the different martial arts that are done in the kingdom. But it does apply to other areas as well.

Travelling will show you the different “dialects” on how the SCA is done in different areas of the kingdom. You will get to know people and make contacts and friends across the known world. In one way you are building your pool of renown and gaining a better understanding of how the SCA and your kingdom works.. 

But that is not the only thing that comes with it, and not even the most important aspect of how travelling relates to peerage.

If you are on the service path making contacts across the kingdom is important. The relationships you build is what in my mind gives you the currency to get things done, especially if you are an officer. But also to find people to assist you in your arts and sciences or finding training partners and teachers for fighting.

Peerage is a SCA wide rank, that means that a peer can go to another kingdom and be asked their opinion on matters, be invited to meetings with the crown of that kingdom etc.

For me an easy litmus test to get an idea of how well somebody understands the SCA, how well connected they are to the kingdom, what exposure they have had etc is to ask “do they travel”. No it is not the only thing I look for, but this is why I look at travel.

No travelling is not the only way to gain experience, make contacts, get exposure, but it is probably the simplest.