There is no greater feeling than having your flights booked and bags packed! Travel is the ultimate game-changer. When you explore new places, you learn about people’s different cultures and learn that we are more alike than we are different. The giddy feeling and exciting experience while traveling are incomparable. It’s hard to capture in words the moment you see the Mt. Fuji in Japan or when you drink and dine at a Michelin star restaurant. These moments are priceless and will surely bring a shift in your mindset. Here are five reasons why traveling is good for you:
1. You’ll have an open mind.
When you travel, you broaden your perspective. You immerse yourself in the language, the lifestyle and what people value and it then makes you respectful of those differences. Yes, you’ll realize it’s different everywhere in the world but you will also witness how it still boils down to one universal language—LOVE. Once you are able to see and explore other cultures and countries, you become more aware making you understand better, seeking to understand others first before yourself. Quoting Marcel Proust, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
2. You learn to appreciate what you have.
Sometimes, you forget to be grateful for the life you currently live in. The comfortable home, clean clothes, healthy (and sometimes not so healthy) foods, clean water, hot bath, and many simple things that surround you every day can be neglected. While traveling, you see some unfortunate scenarios that make you evaluate your own values. The water your drink at home may be scarce in other places. Some children in third world countries do not enjoy much luxuries in life. Upon seeing these things firsthand, it’ll make you think and appreciate all the goodness and even the bittersweet life you have.
3. You live in the moment.
This generation has been extremely busy. The technology we have makes us more and more disconnected instead of connected. When you get to a foreign land, it’s a must to try and disconnect from the world and reconnect in the present moment. We chase so much on the future that we forget to live and enjoy today. While traveling, you leave all your burdens away and just live in the moment. Traveling makes you forget about your responsibilities for a while so that you can recharge and be ready to face another day.
4. You value experience over things.
As they say, “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” I cannot emphasize how true this saying is. When you travel, you learn things you can only learn along the road. You will learn how to be empathetic, how to mingle with others, and how to respect one another. Money can never buy these precious life values. Traveling teaches you lessons that buying a luxurious car can never give.
5. You become happier.
Traveling makes you more fulfilled through new experiences and memories, breaking the routine and meeting new people. It gives you tantamount happiness no one can ever explain. It relieves stress and boosts mental health. It helps you become a well-rounded person and become more optimistic in life.
These are just a few reasons why traveling is a must-do. Not only it helps you grow as an individual but it makes you more human. When you learn about the world, you become more open-minded and appreciative. I hope everybody gives traveling a try and see it for themselves!
