There are many reasons why you should travel the world. My love of travel was instilled in me by my mother. As a child, every summer we would pack up and visit someplace new, whether it was a different country within the Caribbean or North America. It was something that I looked forward to at the end of every school year. My current dream is to visit all fifty states and at least 20 different countries before my 50th birthday.
Many people express that the reason they don’t travel is that it’s too expensive, but I say if you really want to get out and explore the world, you’ll find a way to do so. As a matter of fact, I’ve shared ways to travel when you’re flat broke, how to save money for a surprise vacation, and even how to make a vacation budget.
However, if those don’t invite you to get out and find your wanderlust, here are my five reasons you should traverse the world.
Expand Your Horizon
Don’t let your prejudice get in the way of visiting another country, despite what you may have heard, or don’t understand. When you travel and explore other countries, not only do you get to see their culture personally, but you also know why they act and do things their way. Immerse yourself in the culture and take a few steps in their proverbial shoes. You’ll be wiser for it.
New Experiences
You’re never going to know if you like something if you haven’t tried it, right? After all, you’re traveling the world to experience something new. So why eat the same old, boring pasta that you can eat at any restaurant at home? Or just lounging around on the beach. Try ziplining or even parasailing. Eat that jerk chicken in Jamaica and that curry in India. Experience all the new things that are available and take a step out of your comfort zone for once.
Meet New People/Friends
Who doesn’t love making new friends? Especially friends all over the world? How cool is that? It’s great connecting with others and inviting them to experience your world. You’ll also have friends who would be more than willing to share their own little part of the world with you. Now you have something that other tourists may not have. It’s a good way to really see the world through the eyes of a local; after all, they know where all the good stuff is located.
Learn a New Language
So this one might be a bit tougher, because while you may not indeed learn a new language, you may very well learn a few new words or phrases such as “hello,” “please,” and “thank you,” and we almost all want to know “where is the bathroom?” Showing that you have an interest in their language and are willing to give it a try will endear you to the locals, since they’ll appreciate your wanting to know more about them and their culture. So go ahead and yell “bonjour” all throughout France!
A Sense of Appreciation
My mother would always say, “You may think you have it bad, but there’s always someone out there who has it worse than you do.” I never truly understood what she meant until I visited a particular Caribbean island and saw the kids having fun without shoes; they had no internet connection, but they were still happy. My own kids would have been complaining that there was no wi-fi connection. It just goes to show that you never truly appreciate what you have until you see others enjoying substantially less. So before you start complaining that your barista didn’t make your latte just right, remember that there are those who don’t even have clean drinking water.
So start saving some cash or travel on a budget if you have to, but no matter what you do, get out there and navigate the world in 2019!
