Three Benefits You Get from Traveling
A few reasons to start planning your next trip
Traveling does more than give you a vacation. It can be one of the greatest ways to learn and transform yourself. Here are a few ways traveling can change you for the better.
1. You Expand Your Comfort Zone
Traveling can help you grow your confidence. It forces you to continuously push out of your comfort zone. You deal with the unfamiliar, and you learn to embrace it.
When I studied abroad in Italy, I wasn’t prepared at all. I didn’t speak any Italian, I wasn’t use to traveling and the logistics of it, and I was nervous to be in a foreign country. After a few mistakes with booking and rough patches navigating around, I grew to love it. I learned to take care of myself, and I felt amazing upon realizing that I had navigated a foreign city all by myself.
The uncertainty of traveling, either alone or with friends, drops you into unpredictable situations. You will learn to be resourceful, bold, and independent.
2. You Become a Citizen of the World
I’ve always loved history. I used to read history books as a little kid on ancient civilizations and different time periods. To see the famous monuments and ancient sites in person truly opens your eyes. I still remember the moment I stepped into the chambers of St. Peter’s Basilica, or climbed the rocky terrain of the Acropolis in Athens. Those moments etch themselves into your memory forever.
Traveling will not only push you into the unknown, it will reward you with the beauty of another culture. What was once new and foreign becomes another nugget of global appreciation. Though things may be strange at first, once you interact with locals and see the world from their perspective, you appreciate the differences.
In Italy, people moved with patience. They were not concerned with rushing between events, as they preferred to enjoy the moment. This was very different compared to American culture, where we are always hustling. Learning to enjoy the present, and to make do with less was one of the benefits of my time there.
When you travel to new places, you develop a greater sense of empathy and appreciation for the unique. So take the time to eat the local food, wander away from the tourist traps, and look for the things that are special to that specific culture. You’ll enjoy the experience even more because it’s authentic.
3. You Gain Clarity
Traveling gives you a gift that is unobtainable back home. It gives you objectivity.
When you are traveling, you get a break from your daily life and routines. You get the chance to grow and experience something new, which makes you more open as a person. You get the chance to view things from a different angle, and you become detached from troubles back home. You may be surprised by the amount of sudden clarity you gain by being in a different location.
Also, keep a journal with you when you travel. Document your experiences and anything that stands out to you. Having a record of everything not only makes for a great story, it gives you insight into yourself. Reading your stories and experiences helps you understand more about yourself, and the way you operate. You may learn more about what you are really looking for in life, and what drives you as a person.
So take the leap and visit somewhere new. Traveling is one of the best ways to transform yourself and have unforgettable experiences. There is something fulfilling about stepping into the unfamiliar. You’ll leave a piece of your heart wherever you land.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” — Mark Twain
