If you’re like me, then you’ve spent your entire life wanting to get on a plane and go somewhere across the ocean, where you’ve never been before. You have a list in your head of the places you want to go to the most (Greece, Spain, Italy, India…if I keep going, the list will never end!). Also, we get confused when people tell us that they have no interest in traveling. I’ve had people tell me that it just isn’t in their minds, that they’re focused on their career and they’re not going to get what they want if they leave their hometown. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay in your hometown for your future, but I think it’s important that everyone gets out of the country at some point in their lives, and here’s why.
1.) It opens your mind.
When you see the way that other people are living, it makes you realize just how different everyone is. This happens whether you go to a first or a third-world country, though. If you go to a struggling country, you’re going to realize how lucky you are and how many other people need help, no doubt. If you’re going to another well-off country and simply see how different their lives are compared to your own, you start to see that different doesn’t mean bad. You might end up changing your lifestyle because you liked something else more, or you might end up picking up a few new habits that make life easier. Either way, you’ll learn about the different ways of living and you’ll realize that doing something differently doesn’t mean you’ll ruin your life.
2.) It changes who you are, in a good way.
When you travel somewhere foreign, you’ll be put in situations that you’ve never been put in before. Whether it’s incorrectly following the bus schedule in Europe and ending up in the wrong place or looking at a restaurant menu and not knowing what anything is in Asia, you’ll be getting completely new experiences. If you’re the kind of person who’s afraid of change, and that’s therefore why you don’t want to travel, keep in mind that all of the best stories come from someone making a mistake and therefore, trying something new. When you’re out into situations that you didn’t see coming, the way you react helps determine who you really are.
3.) You’ll learn. A lot.
When you travel, one of the places that you’re given to visit is a museum. However, everywhere you go, there are tons of different museums, all about different things. Whether you like art, history, architecture, even food, you’ll find somewhere to see it. And when you go to museums, you learn. You won’t only learn from museums, though. If you’re in a country where they speak a different language, there’s no doubt that you’ll pick up some of that language. Learning about another country makes you want to learn more, and more, and eventually, you’ll be just as obsessed with learning about other people’s cultures as I am.
4.) It builds stronger relationships.
This is relevant whether you’re traveling alone or with a friend. If you’re with a friend, a group of friends, a significant other, family, or anyone – you’ll become closer. First there’s a multiple-hour plane ride that you’ll be together for, there’s wherever you’re staying, and there’s the entire vacation that you’ll spend together. But when you explore new places and learn new things, you’re getting experiences together that you won’t have with anyone else when you go back home. If you’re traveling alone, you’re bound to meet people wherever you go. You’re not going to know your way around, and you’re bound to find someone to ask for help. While you may not make a real friend or find love abroad, you’ll learn more about yourself and when you get back home, you’ll realize how nice it is to have people you love around.
There’s only one con to traveling, and that’s that once you start, you’ll never want to stop! The more you travel, the more you’ll learn, and the more you’ll grow. Even if you’re a homebody and you don’t like being somewhere that you don’t know the surroundings, it’ll be good for you to experience something new. Simply taking a friend and crossing a border near you can expand your horizons, and even if you still think that travel isn’t for you, then at least you tried! So go ahead and take the risk, travel somewhere new, and learn new things!
HCXO, Lola
*All images courtesy of Pinterest