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Why you should travel at least once during university

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Waterloo chapter.

Ever since I was little, my family’s never done much travelling — we spent our summers camping or at cottages not too far from home. But now that I’m older and working more, I’ve been putting more money aside to travel. It’s a beautiful world and I want to see it all, by plane or car, and you should too.

It’s easy to put emphasis on material objects, like a new t-shirt or book, but if you want to travel, it’s important to make every penny count. Obviously, if you need something, buy it, but be sure to budget to make sure you have the funds for the trip. And while you may associate vacation with jumping on a plane and flying somewhere, it doesn’t always have to be that way! It’s super easy and just as fun to do a road trip.

Travelling gives you a better appreciation for life itself. You’re driving, flying, or walking somewhere new, taking in everything life has to offer. Seeing all the beautiful scenery and tasting the delicious food gives you that renewal you may be craving, especially while you’re in university, constantly bogged down by assignments or finding a co-op placement.

It’s also a great time to forget. You get to leave your normal life for a while and de-stress (hopefully). Driving across Canada listening to Taylor Swift’s new album allows you to forget about life’s complications and stresses for a while.

If you take a trip alone, you get to learn so much about yourself and become more independent. You’re forced to figure everything out alone and can enjoy your own company. This is the time to learn to appreciate everything about yourself, while also experiencing a new culture, place, or activity.

I went on a couple of trips this year, including some road trips across Canada, which were amazing — so I recommend trying something like this, especially if you don’t want to go far or spend too much money. Why not take the opportunity to see our beautiful country and enjoy all it has to offer? I also flew to Prince Edward Island, and I can definitely say that out of the four provinces I’ve visited, it’s by far my favourite! It was fantastic to see how different all the provinces are from each other, yet also similar.

I hope this has inspired you to take a trip sometime in your university career and enjoy the beautiful world we live in!

Hey! I'm a third-year honours arts student at the University of Waterloo! I major in English with a Digital Arts Communication minor and a tech writing specialization! Oh, and I also write for HC Waterloo! I'm an avid reader (go Gryffindor), obsessed with friends and gilmore girls, and a plant connoisseur!