We’re often told, “You guys travel a lot”; actually we don’t. If anything, we don’t travel enough, because there is no such thing as traveling a lot. To make our point, we wanted to share five simple reasons for why we believe YOU should travel. Here’s hoping they will be reasons enough to start planning your next adventure.
1. Travel builds tolerance and understanding.
We cannot count the number of times we have said this but it never loses its value, you will learn MORE from traveling the world than from any book you read, even if you read your entire life. The people, culture, and experiences you encounter while on travel don’t just expand your understanding of the world we live in but it helps you understand you. If more people traveled, there would be less racism, hate, fear, and war. As human beings we fear the unknown, once that mystery is eliminated, understanding, compassion and love for one another can blossom. There is nothing worse than ignorance, which is the very first thing you begin to lose when you travel.
2. Travel will help you discover YOU.
This is true for all kinds of travel and especially true for solo travels. When you are in an unfamiliar environment, outside of your comfort zone and regular routine, and often forced to learn to adapt to situations on your own, you begin to discover what you are truly made of. When the responsibility for yourself solely belongs to you, you learn your strengths and weaknesses very quickly; characteristics that would otherwise have taken a much longer to recognize. Your confidence in you rises, exponentially. And with every new travel, you become a better friend to yourself. We have never returned from a trip without a new epiphany of ourselves; a feeling unlike any other.
3. Travel makes you appreciate what you have.
Sometimes we go to places where the level of luxury surpasses that which we have back home, while at other times we arrive in places where our basic needs are considered a luxury. How often do we consider drinking water an indulgence? Take for granted the size of our bedrooms? Under appreciate readily available heat? Not that often. But there are places in the world where water is so precious that it’s neither wasted nor available at your fingertips, rooms so small that it takes a few deep breathes to be able to adjust to such confined space, or heat so limited, even in the dead of winter, that you sleep wearing every article of clothing. We’ve been to places where electricity is on a timer in an attempt to eliminate wastage, showered in a tiny stream of frigid cold water in an effort to conserve water. That’s when you realize the little but essential things in life you take for granted, and you begin to appreciate what you have.
4. A picture cannot tell the whole story.
You’ve probably heard, “…but you had to be there” more than a handful of times in your life; we can attest to that. The reality is, IT’S TRUE — you really DID have to be there! Whether you own a point & shoot, SLR, Go Pro or a multi-thousand dollar, multi lens camera, a picture (however great) does not ever depict the reality of a destination. Traveling is not just “seeing” the sights, but experiencing them. Closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, and observing your surrounding with all of your senses, is a feeling pictures cannot portray. Letting your mind wander as it processes what your eyes see, nose smell, ears hear, hands touch, in that precise moment, however cliche sounding, is priceless. That kind of adrenalin rush is irreplaceable and no picture (even when speaking a thousand words) can bring that to life.
5. World may be small, but it’s big.
No one will ever be able to see everything the world encompasses; it’s simply not possible. Even those who have been to every country in the world, have not seen everything. The more you see, the more you want to see, but it never ends. That’s the beauty of travel. Even if two people go to the same destination, at the same time, they don’t necessarily see the same thing(s). The miracles of mother nature and the creations of mankind will blow your mind. It will challenge your perception and forever change how you see the world, the people in it, and yourself. And for that, you will forever be grateful.
So go…try to catch a glimpse of our planet. Life is short, you want to know why millions of people are venturing out there — because out there is where life is!
What are your top reasons for traveling? Do you agree with ours? We’d love to hear your views in the comment section below.
As always, Happy and Safe Travels!
