Throughout my entire life, I have been blessed enough to have a family that valued traveling much more than most. With both my parents having immigrated from India, visiting India was always a given so they could show me how they grew up and my roots. I truly believe that if every family instilled this awareness from a young age, even if they can't financially internationally travel, their kids can grow to be curious about the world and all that's out there.
What many cease to understand is that making small financial sacrifices (obviously within reason) to allow yourself to be in a completely different country on the other side of the world teaches you so much more than imaginable. That being said, apart from the plethora of "artsy" Instagram posts here's a short list of why traveling is more than hopping on a 10-hour flight with your floppy hat:
1. It can help you discover who you are
Traveling can be great for self-discovery, facing your fears and realizing any form of hidden potential. It can reevaluate priorities in life because it usually breaks your regular routine, and can help you appreciating the present moment for what it is.
2. Traveling helps you appreciate nature
Whether it’s the chirping sounds of the birds, the sound of the waves crashing, or the howling of unknown animals, you could have missed it all had you not traveled and set your routine aside for some days.
3. It creates meaningful relationships
People you meet while abroad could very possibly become some of the most important names on your contact list and give you, even more, places on the map to visit in the future. New types of people give you a small glimpse outside your daily circle of friends/family, forcing you to take in new and refreshing perspectives
4. It develops skills you didn't know you had
Sometimes it takes being far away from home to realize that you've got skills you've never used. It's travel that brings them to the surface and makes you feel very satisfied when used, whether it's reaching the top of the mountain when you could barely run a mile back home, or understanding directions on a map, when usually your GPS is your best friend, or even successfully ordering food in a different language
5. It helps you move forward
Especially in this day and age, it always seems as if we're between jobs, schools, or relationships. Traveling around the world is an ideal way to help clarify what to do in the next stages of life when dealing with any of the three. Big trips won't just ease your transition because of the ample time to yourself, but it'll give you a chance to reflect on where you've been and where you would like to be.
6. It is literally food for thought
Let's be honest, who doesn't like trying new food? With the infinite amount of flavors the world has to offer, not only will trying new delicious foods be the perfect way to commemorate your travels but seeing how it's prepared or how other cultures eat at lunch or dinner can really be eye-opening.
With just of these few of the hundreds of points out there on why to travel, hopefully, this inspires you to look into studying abroad or convince your family that for your birthday or graduation you would rather backpack across Greece or go hiking in Patagonia rather than a new car. Because trust me, there’s really nothing in the world that equals to the satisfaction of immersing yourself in another country.
