I’ve been traveling within the United States for my entire life. As I begin to take more international trips, I realize that I’m more in love with traveling than I’ve been with anything in the past several years.
Here are the top five reasons why travel is so important to me:
1. Cultural Diversity
Traveling allows me the opportunity to immerse myself into new cultures. When visiting a new place I like to go to local hangout spots. Locals have the best tips on how to experience the culture “off the beaten path”. Each new experience helps me become a better communicator because I am able to “walk in the shoes” of others.
2. Meet New People
Speaking of the locals, meeting new people while traveling is a must! The connections I make are amazing! In LA, I met an older gentleman named Paul who worked as an engineer designing rides for Disney World. Cool right? Later he moved to LA to retire. There he became an extra for several Hollywood blockbuster films.
In France, I met Alejandro from Peru. He made his own silverware and then created beautiful jewelry pieces from them. He was kind and very knowledgeable about the culture.
3. Education
That brings me to education. There is a quote from an anonymous author that reads, “Dont tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you’ve travelled.” It’s one of my favorite travel quotes. I’ve learned more during my travels than I’ve learned at any formal institution. For instance, during a recent trip to California I learned of the City of San Juan Capistrano. San Juan Capistrano was originally home to the Shoshone Native American tribe until it was colonized by European missionaries for their own selfish gain. Very interesting! I would have never known about this place had it not been for my explorative nature.
4. Discovering Self
This one is simple. When I’m around familiar settings I unconsciously suppress parts of myself that may be or have been shunned previously. When I get away from all that I know, I’m able to be completely free. In this case, I find a side of myself that I’ve never found before. It’s the ultimate liberation!
5. Healing
Finally that brings us to the healing properties of travel. As I mentioned, it’s the ultimate liberation. Everyday stress melts away with travel if you let it. I do this by fully unwinding and unplugging from things that I have no control over.
So why is travel important to you? Let me know in the comments below. Also, you don’t want to miss a thing so be sure to click the ‘Subscribe’ button below.
Thanks for reading! See ya’ll soon!
