We all have friends who have traveled the world. They road trip to Montana; they hitchhike through Croatia; they ride around on a moped in Rome like Lizzie McGuire. While we’re all a little jealous of their fantastic photos on Facebook, travel really can give you more than hundreds of “likes” online. There are so many reasons you should travel, and the benefits and experiences it can provide are worth every penny.
Meet New People
There is no one better to show you around and tell you everything a place has to offer than those who live there. Being in a completely new city allows you to meet an entirely new and different scope of people. You could meet anyone from a local university student to a hippie from the 70s still living his best life; there are literally billions of people out there waiting for a simple “hello.”
Challenge Yourself
Getting around a bustling city at rush hour is no easy task. Add in the fact that everything might be in a different language, and you have quite the challenge waiting for you. Figuring sh*t out on your own is where you find how resilient, smart and patient you really can be. Also, Wi-Fi isn’t promised anywhere you go, so not being caught up with Orange is the New Black will be a challenge in itself.
Correct Your Perceptions
Movies and pictures can never capture the true essence a country. This is true, too, about its people. You might go to a new place and have an idea of how the people will be. More often than not, traveling there will provide a check against those incorrect perceptions and any bias’s you might’ve had before. Today’s world will only benefit from more cultural understanding.
Appreciate Every Relationship
Being in a different state, country or continent can take a toll on any relationship. The new ones made abroad might come to an end soon, and the old back home are on what Ross from Friends likes to call a “break.” This won’t only make you cherish the new people in your life, but also strengthen the relationships that have been put on hold while you were away.
Enjoy Unique Cuisine
Who doesn’t love a good meal? While Chinese, Italian, and Mexican food are all delicious at home, they are even better where they originated. The food is always impossibly delicious wherever you go, and you’ll experience new tastes you can’t always find in the States. A street kabob in Munich is definitely worth your last euro, trust me.
Explore What’s Out There
On top of all the personal and life lessons you can learn traveling, the view is also part of the package! The Eiffel Tower, Great Wall, Grand Canyon, Amazon, or Big Ben can show the power humans can really have as well as the true beauty of the world we live in. There’s a reason Kanye and Jay Z brag about being in Paris…
… and What’s in Your Very Own Backyard
Seeing the world can help you appreciate “home.” While the wonders of the world are amazing and a joy to experience, sometimes the best adventures happen right where you are. Traveling can help you see the unique and wonderful people and places always around you.
The benefits and experiences travel can provide make it worth the money. So go ahead, and be a little spontaneous. Buy a plane ticket to New Delhi or drive down to New Orleans. Wherever you decide to go, what you’re going to get out of that trip is going to add more to your life than you had thought possible before.