It is no secret that I believe the greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of travel. The act of getting outside your home or local sphere to experience new places, new foods, new people, and even new languages is part of human nature. We were designed to explore.
Related: Travel is My Love Language
The most important reason, to me, of why I travel is the connections we make. Thanks to traveling I have friends in multiple states and countries all across the world. People that I have met either over a pint of beer in a local pub or have spent a week alongside them wandering their country. We have shared our likes and dislikes, the similarities and differences between our homes. And what did a learn over these discussions? We are not all that different after all.
Traveling also provides a sense of freedom. Travel comes with its time of stress and anxiety, but it also provides the option to unplug and experience leisure time that we normally don’t experience at home. Time on a flight, for me, is when I catch up on my latest novel instead of my emails. Travel provides you the ability to do the things that you want to do, when you want to do them, at your own pace with no pressure from anyone but yourself. How often do we get that option at home?
Related: How to Manage Travel Anxiety
Travel is also an extreme challenge. You are purposefully putting yourself outside your comfort zone. No matter where you go, there will be no sights, smells, and all around assault to the senses. But once you concur your new environment, you will feel a sense of pride like you have never felt before.
Finally, travel teaches us humility. There is nothing like walking into a third-world country and seeing poverty to the magnitude face-to-face. When visiting countries of the second- and third-world, try stepping outside the lush environment of the resort life to experience the authenticity of the country. It’ll help put your problems into perspective, and realize just how thankful you truly are for the opportunity.
