Why travel? Well, that’s what I want to share with you here because there are so many reasons to travel!
I only have to hear the word ‘travel’ to get all starry-eyed and excited. For as long as I can remember it’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Since childhood, I’ve yearned for crazy escapades, dreamed about fantastic experiences, and bemoaned the ‘ordinary’ route through life.
I think about what the ‘good life’ means for me and know it doesn’t involve a standard 9 to 5 routine, working for the man and living for the weekend. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with all that- I just know it wouldn’t make me happy.
I want to explore the world, immerse myself in new cultures, and experience different ways of life.
And so that’s what I’ve done over the last few years. I’ve made travel a priority, working and exploring my ways around the world in a bid to see and experience as much as I can. The experience has led me to believe that everybody should travel at least once in their lifetimes!
And you don’t have to sell all your belongings and go on a yearlong round-the-world trip (although there is a lot of value in that too). Just plan a trip to a destination you have never been to before.
There is, however, a big difference between vacation and travel, and here I’m talking about traveling, not about booking a trip to an all-inclusive resort.
So, in my bid to convince you to give it a try, I thought I’d write about the primary reasons to travel and how you stand to gain if you go.
Sound good? Read on for my 10 top reasons to travel the world.
Top 10 reasons to travel
Traveling makes life memorable
You don’t make the best memories when you’re stuck behind a desk all day. Pushing paper does nothing but make you get bored, lethargic, and unmotivated. Days blend into one and you look to the weekend (or retirement) for salvation. Then it’s back to the grind come Monday.
Travel is the total opposite! It’s memorable from the very start. You’ll be exploring ancient ruins, camping under hammock tarps in the Amazon, riding bikes through Brazil, deep-sea diving the Great Barrier Reef, and jumping head first out of airplanes.
Traveling writes the tales you tell your grandkids and reminisce about over a drink with friends. It’s remarkable in every sense of the word, leaves an indelible mark on your soul, and makes life feel that little bit more worthwhile.
Traveling teaches you about yourself
Travel is an amazing educator.
And one primary thing it teaches you about is yourself!
It’s hard not to learn about yourself when you’re forced into tricky spots and come through the other side. The intensity of the experience makes you react physically, mentally, and emotionally in particular ways, which you can then observe and interpret.
You meet people who confront you with new ideals and ideas that you may or may not agree with.
It’s like shining a flashlight on yourself in the dark. You can’t help but see who you are in a different light, and discover who you want to be in the future.
Traveling teaches you about life
When traveling you learn about life (and the world) at a macro level too.
You can’t help it- traveling confronts you with the world. You see with your own eyes what life can be like; you witness unforgettable sights and encounter attitude-altering events.
You might experience true poverty in India. You might have all your worldly possessions stolen in Colombia. And you might see the most mind-blowing natural beauty in Nepal.
You might witness the damaging reality of globalisation and the darker side of capitalism.
Honestly, there’s any number of ways for travel to teach you something about the world. It’s almost inevitable that you come away with a freshly opened mind.
Traveling pushes you to do and be better
Travel involves challenges too.
It pushes and pulls you out of your comfort zone.
Ultimately, though, you come through the other side and are all the better for it.
There’s something about the experience that lets you know you’re capable of more.
That newfound self-knowledge may have revealed your aptitude for one thing or another. You might feel a new sense of confidence and bravery to boot.
Travel is stimulating, exciting, and engaging. You can’t help but feel liberated and inspired to make more of life.
Traveling makes you humble
There’s something humbling about travel as well.
It highlights your weaknesses and flaws. It showcases how small and insignificant you really are relative to the world.
You see that you’re fallible and life is cruel. You see that privilege is total luck of the draw and that material wealth means very little in the grand scheme of things.
Any lingering bravado melts away as you start realising more about yourself and the world. In this way, immersing yourself in an adventure and embracing everything along the way is a recipe for newfound humility.
It’s something different
For me, hitting the road is about doing something different.
Traveling is, of course, mega-popular these days. But I still think it sets you apart from the crowd. You move away from an ordinary, passive, linear trajectory through life and take time out to see the world! It’s inspiring and fills you with a sense of passion, where an ‘every day’ existence might not.
Honestly, I’d much rather do something different, struggle over the uncertainty and instability that arises, and come away with a host of battle scars in the process, than drag my heels through a safe and conventional life. In my experience, travel gives life meaning and purpose. You get out of bed each day looking forward to what’s to come.
Traveling shows what’s possible
I think travel helps you realise what’s out there too.
You start seeing things differently. It removes the cotton wool from your eyes and reveals the possibilities that life has to offer. You see there’s more to life than what you’ve been led to believe! There’s a whole world out there to explore.
Like a child getting their first taste of chocolate, you can’t help but want more and more and more. That first adventure sets the ball rolling and funnels you down a new path to better things.
Traveling makes you feel alive
I’ve never felt more alive than I have on my travels.
There’s just so much to see and do! New smells, sights, and flavours excite your senses and stimulate you to the core of your being.
You become focused on the here and now, forget about your troubles, and enter fully into the experience.
As tiring as travel can be sometimes, you can’t help but feel enlivened by the events of each day. They’re novel, interesting, and exciting; visceral, triggering, and stimulating. You pull forcibly out of apathy and become more connected and attuned to your environment.
It provides a full mixture of emotions
Life shouldn’t be lived in black and white. It should be full-colour, high-definition viewing! Life should have highs and lows and ups and downs and everything in-between.
Travel does exactly that.
It’s vibrant, intense, and exhilarating. It sends you through the wringer and back again. You’ll feel a full range of emotions throughout your trip- from the depths of despair to the heights of joy.
And, though the tough times are never fun, they’re necessary if you’re ever going to fully appreciate the positives.
There’s something inherently life-giving about experiencing life like this. I mean, it’s literally the opposite of feeling apathetic about your days!
You feel alive, exuberant, and eager to embrace the adventure. More on this next.
It keeps you present
I hinted at this in the previous point. However, I think it’s worth re-emphasising!
Basically, another key reason to travel is because it keeps you present, alert, and in the moment. You aren’t focused on the past or future. You enjoy each instant as it passes, enthralled by what you’re doing, and unable to see beyond the ‘now’.
The result? You feel happier and at ease!
Indeed, it’s hard not to be present when you’re seeing and experiencing things for the first time; when you’re tasting new foods and smelling new smells; when you’re confronted with a reality you had no idea existed and a way of life that astounds and shocks in equal measure; when you’re scared and unsure and lost in a strange new place; when you feel blessed and blown away by the generosity of strangers in a foreign land; when you meet inspiring new people and get the chance to learn from them… and so on and so forth.
Everything about having an adventure plonks you in what’s happening and leaves you happily content in the moment.
Remember these reasons to travel the world
I think everybody wins when they go traveling.
From the newfound insight you gain into yourself and the world, to the intense joy it delivers on a daily basis, travel (and the adventures you have along the way) makes everything better.
Hopefully, the reasons to travel that I’ve outlined in this post have explained why that’s the case.
(Article source: Spend Life Travelling)
