4 Lessons That I Learned From Traveling Around The World
When I was growing up I was taught how important school was to my personal growth and development. Unfortunately, my academic performance wasn’t the best. However, I was an experiential learner.
I always had a desire to travel. Once I discovered that I could build an online business and make money while I slept, living the laptop lifestyle was my goal.
I believe that traveling is one of the best ways to grow as a human being. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if I had never explored the world.
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I believe that traveling can teach you more about yourself, others and the world than any textbook ever can.
Not only is travel something fun to do, but studies shows that it leads to a greater learning capacity, increased feeling of happiness and satisfaction, and even decreased risk of heart disease.
With benefits like these, who wouldn’t want to travel?
Here are 4 lessons that I learned from traveling around the world.
1. Diversity Is Beautiful
Imagine if all of us looked, dressed, spoke and acted the same. How boring and monotonous would that be! This is why cultural diversity is so beautiful — it adds excitement, color, and uniqueness to life.
If you live in a bubble, you close yourself off to learning about people from other cultures. Instead, you only live by your experience.
Cultural immersion has taught me the value of celebrating differences and breaking down stereotypes. The way people choose to live their lives may be drastically different than mine, and that is okay.
“One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things.” — D.H. Lawrence
By opening myself up to new customs and values, I have to come to see that we truly are citizens of the world, regardless of the color of our skin.
2. Gratitude Creates Happiness
Travel has been the vessel through which I have experienced the purest form of gratitude.
You can’t force yourself to be thankful. In order to feel more grateful, you have to experience more situations which evoke this emotion within you.
Upon viewing the plight of the world’s poor in countries like South East Asia, Ethiopia, and Columbia, I have become more aware of my privilege and what I take for granted.
“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” — Brene Brown
Did you know that one billion people live in desperate poverty in city slums?
It was during my trip to El Salvador where I built houses for a village suffering from poverty that I bore witness to the power of gratitude. Despite their life circumstances, the people I met still found a reason to smile.
Research shows that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, and build strong relationships.
Traveling has given me a greater appreciation for the simple things in life, like having a roof over my head and fresh water to drink.
3. Experiences Are Better Than Things
Since I started traveling, I have begun to realize that I am the sum total of my experiences — the things that I’ve done, the people that I’ve met, and the places that I’ve traveled to.
As Julius Ceasar once said — “Experience is the teacher of all things.”
Having materialistic possessions is nice, but I have never felt connected to them. The excitement surrounding the newness of something fades quickly. Buying that new pair of shoes you’ve been wanting forever won’t transform your life, but doing something like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will.
The research of Dr. Richard Easterlin suggests that, in your search for happiness, instead of spending money on things, you are better off investing in experiences.
It’s the moments in life that take your breath away that matter most.
I will always remember proposing to my girlfriend overlooking the picturesque sunset view of Santorini and witnessing the building of a school in Ethiopia that I helped fund. Nobody can ever take those moments away from me. They are forever imprinted in my mind.
4. Uncertainty Is Exciting
The very nature of traveling is uncertain. You never know where you may end up, whom you will meet, or what challenges you will face.
Living in the same environment for long periods of time can make you feel stagnant. Traveling forces you to get out of your comfort zone and explore the unknown.
As someone who used to struggle with extreme shyness and social anxiety, traveling solo offered me an opportunity to face my fears, head on. Going to countries where I did not know anyone forced me to adapt to new environments and practice my communication skills.
As a result, I was able to rid myself of old, limiting patterns of behavior. I gained more confidence in myself, which I was able to apply to all areas of my life.
Traveling has turned me into a storyteller.
It has given me the unique opportunity to find myself and lose myself through the art of adventure. More importantly, it has allowed me to combine my love of travel and contribution. Being able to explore new places and give back to people in need has given me a sense of purpose and fulfillment that is hard to describe in words.
What lessons have you learned from traveling?
Thank you for reading!
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