3 Ways Travel Makes You A Better Version Of Yourself

The first time I really remember traveling, I was eight years old.

My family was moving from Ghana, where I was born, to The Gambia for my dad’s job. Then, not long after that, we moved again — this time to Botswana.

Since then, I’ve traveled all over the world.

I’ve seen beautiful sites, like the ancient city Petra and the island of Zanzibar, where the sand is like powder. But travel is about much more than seeing pretty sights — it also makes you more curious, a more creative thinker, more productive, and better able to adapt to unforeseen challenges.

Perhaps most importantly, it gives you a global perspective on life, which makes connecting with others — no matter how different from you they seem — so much easier.

Here’s why everyone should consider travel to bring out the best version of themselves.

1. It brings people together.

When you’re stuck in your immediate surroundings, you develop entrenched ideas about how the world works.

You might think certain countries are scary or hostile because of how they’re portrayed on TV, or falsely believe your own country is superior.

We often feel that people who live elsewhere don’t experience things the way we do, but when we travel, we realize that’s not true. While customs may differ slightly, when you get to know people from over countries, you’ll notice we all want the same things in life — community, good food, friendship, purpose, and love.

Watching people in different countries walk their dogs, smile and laugh, wash their clothes, share ice cream with their kids, or sit on the beach with their friends helps us realize “foreigners” are not so foreign.

Travel is the single best way to get out of your own head and feel connected to the people of the world.

2. It shows you what’s really important in life.

Here in the U.S., we freak out when our power goes out for a few hours.

But in some countries I’ve lived in, you couldn’t assume that there’d always be power or water. Sometimes you’d randomly lose water for several days, or there’d be power rationing. You’d just make do.

Travel highlights the power of the human spirit.

In Cuba, for example, you see a number of old American cars from the 60s on the road — it’s because they work to fix and repair cars and keep them on the road. They have no other option. If something breaks, they just deal with it. They use human ingenuity to patch them together.

When you travel, you learn that some of the happiest people are the ones with the least. I’ve learned not to measure success or my self-worth based on material objects, but rather on my connections with other people and the impact that I have on the world.

More than anything, travel helps crystallize what really matters.

3. You become a citizen of the world — not just your own country.

When I was little, my dad would listen to BBC news on the radio all the time. So I grew up listening to it too, and it really broadened my understanding of the world — I knew who the President of Taiwan was even though I’d never been there.

And today, social media fills our feeds with voices from all over the planet.

The other day, I was watching a program on TV about a kid with a rare genetic condition that only a handful of people have. But through Skype and social media, she was able to connect with another kid in Papua New Guinea with the same condition. The ended up meeting a few years later and became best friends — even before meeting in person. Years ago, she would have felt completely alone in experiencing this disease, but because of advances in technology, she was able to grow up with a support system.

Globalization means we have more opportunities than ever to connect with people around the globe.

When I started my tech company Ximble, my first programmer was a guy named Sergei who lived in Ukraine. We worked together online and over Skype, and became close. Four years into our professional relationship, I actually flew to Ukraine and met him and his family. I remember when his son was born because we’d talked about it on Skype. And when I met him, I felt like I’d known him for years.

Humans are dynamic and multidimensional beings — we need to grow and stretch in different directions. And there’s no better way to open yourself up and let your natural curiosity come through than by visiting new places.

When you do, you’ll learn new things about yourself and everyone around you.