How Taking a Long Trip Abroad Can Change Your Life
And introduce you to amazing people and opportunities
I was born in a tiny nation called Uruguay, in South America.
You probably can’t even place it on the map.
It’s a good place. Good people. Good quality of life.
But it has a population of 3.5 million people.
It’s not like a rural town where everybody knows each other, but close to it. Either they know your parents, your cousin, or your mailman.
If you’re from a small town, you know what I’m talking about.
It feels like you’re trapped. Like you are not where you’re supposed to be. Like you are missing out all the time.
Missing out on who you could be, who you could meet, and what you could achieve. Not only if you were to go to the big city… just a different place.
So after this rather long intro, let’s get into it.
A leap of faith that can change your life
I have been to a few places, but I’m not the wanderlust nomad type of guy. I’m not a globetrotter. Not a digital nomad either. Don’t like that lifestyle.
I have lived here and there but I have plenty of empty pages to be stamped in my passport. I’d love to be well-traveled, but I’m not so much.
I’m going to talk about something else.
About how taking a long trip away from home can revolutionize your life for the better, making you a new and improved version of yourself.
Something you can’t experience if you only travel to a place for a few days at a time or hop from one destination to the other.
Meeting a new culture is meeting a new way of thinking. It changes your perspective and challenges you to think outside of yourself.
You can deeply change by experiencing a new place.
What is there to gain by living a season away?
There’s a lot to gain.
It can rock your world in ways you have not imagined.
Especially those of us who are on the self-development path. There are only so many things you change in yourself until they become routine.
At the end of the day, you’re carving out a new comfort zone for yourself.
And if you’re not, you can experience life in a new way. You can see the world through the eyes of others.
Traveling opens up your mind
It’s often inspiring to meet new people and learn their customs. There are infinite little ways of living you do not know.
When traveling in New Zealand, I met one of my good friends Luca.
Luca and I bonded over an Argentinean rock’n’roll band and our love of smoking joints outdoors. Young-guy things.
He had been a chef since the age of 17 and moved from Portugal to Kazakhstan at 20. Since meeting him I’ve been passionate about good cuisine and the art of food. It’s a passion I enjoy to this day.
It’s impossible not to realize how much more there is to learn about the world when you get to meet people who are so different from you.
And let me tell you, it is a fascinating thing to realize.
There’s never been a better time
The world is big and small at the same time.
Airfares are cheaper than they ever were. English is the most common second language in the world. There was never a better time to travel.
There are many places you’d love to call your home if you only knew them. And even if you’re fine where you live, becoming a more ‘worldly person’ will make you infinitely more interesting.
Step out of your comfort zone
Growth awaits you outside of your zone of comfort. Stepping out of what you know is inspiring and will grant you much satisfaction.
You will learn to solve new problems. To communicate differently. To be a more independent and self-sufficient person.
Most importantly, nothing brings you closer to you than exploring new territory. And self-knowledge is one of the most valuable assets.
You’ll be proud of your adventurousness and courage.
And who knows, you may even find a new vocation or career opportunity that changes your life (I did.)
Where should I travel to?
You are bought in and want to take the step. Kudos!
Choosing a destination is a lot of fun.
It’s easy to say “I want to go to Paris/London/New York”. It’s where everybody wants to go and where everybody has been.
There are amazing places outside of your map, that are not so mainstream and could give you unbelievable stories to tell.
I’m not gonna cover those here. Not the point here.
Luckily, plenty of guides online can introduce you to spots you may never have heard of that can be exactly what you’re looking for.
Maybe even Uruguay.
First things first.
What are you mostly looking for?
Commonly one or two of these will drive your choice:
- Art and culture
- Natural landscapes
- Social environment
Since we are not looking for resort tourism or simple sightseeing where you take a picture and off you go, I think those are the main ones.
Of course, there are different motivations than those listed. It’s all about preference so only you can know.
What are your limitations?
I don’t need to tell you to avoid high crime rate cities if you need that feeling of security.
Or maybe you hate the cold and would be better off choosing a tropical location where it’s warm most of the time.
Most people feel very uncomfortable not being understood so you’d better go to a place where most people speak English. There are plenty.
One could argue that getting over the language barrier would be a great experience in itself, but you don’t have to overstretch yourself.
Make it easy for yourself to enjoy the trip.
Google is your friend
The internet is jam-packed with travel content so you are going to find most of what you’re looking for by surfing the web for an afternoon or two.
Personally, I could spend months researching the best location and end up deciding on the tiniest detail. I find it to be such a fun process.
No need to overthink it though. Follow your curiosity, cover the basics and you will be good to go.
The wonders of traveling Solo
A like-minded travel partner who won’t ditch you on adventures and whose schedule coincides with yours is not an easy thing to get, and I know traveling alone is scary for a lot of people.
But let me tell you:
It is often much better than traveling with your buddy.
I did so at 20. My friends thought I was crazy. You may think it too. I understand. It is not for everybody.
But if you’re truly up for adventure and serious growth… that is the way to go. Absolutely no doubt about it.
A word of encouragement
Don’t jump ship just now, but also don’t delay it forever. You only live once, you pretty daredevil.
I took my first big trip at 20.
Do you think I felt ready? I did not. I gathered courage for a whole year and took more than 6 months to get everything in place before I was able to go.
Including saving up money.
I traveled 10,000 km and 15 time zones away from home. I stayed a whole year and it changed my life.
With a Working Holiday visa. I suggest you look it up if you’re below 30.
I will never forget how much I grew as a person because of that trip.
I had some great fun and met some amazing people I stayed in contact with years later. And even the times that were not that great, they still forged me. That is all part of the growth process.
It was a 100% worthwhile experience.
Now I’m 29 and I took the step once again, only this time for good.
I have a wife, I’m not alone, it’s not the same.
But I did have to leave my life behind and let me tell you: it took some balls. And some long-term planning as well.
It has been greatly rewarded. The future has never looked brighter.
If you’re interested in reading more: I’d love you on my pre-list. I will not yet send you any e-mails, but you’ll be in the first row when the fun starts. Which will be soon. Join our freedom-thinking movement here.
