10 Surprising Reasons To Travel
7 min readIntroduction
If you’ve ever thought about traveling, chances are that you’re already a passionate traveler. You love to explore new places and cultures and see things in a fresh way. But there are also many reasons why traveling can be beneficial for your mental health. The good news is that even if you don’t have the means or opportunity to travel often (but wish you did!), this list will give any budding wanderlustracker an idea of how much better life would be if they just went on an adventure now and then:
It makes you vulnerable.
Traveling can be scary. You’re vulnerable, out of your comfort zone and you have no control over what happens next. This is one of the reasons that people shy away from traveling alone or with just one other person in tow, especially if they are new to a place or unfamiliar with it’s culture.
But what if there was a way for you to enjoy all these benefits without having to worry about being vulnerable? What if there were ways for you to meet new people and experience life differently while still feeling safe? Sounds like fun? Well read on then…
You learn to embrace your fears.
Fear is a natural emotion, and it’s important to remember that. Fear keeps us safe from harm, and it can also make us feel more alive. Traveling forces you to face your fears–and learn that you are stronger than you think!
Traveling allows me to confront my biggest fears head-on: heights (I’m afraid of heights), crowds (I’m claustrophobic), water (boiling hot springs in Hawaii scare me). I’ve learned that these are just normal human responses, not something worthy of being afraid of at all. And when faced with those things on vacation instead of at home in New York City? Well–it depends how long ago it was since last time I did this kind of thing…
You meet new people.
Traveling with a group is a great way to meet new people. You can find new friends or even make new love interests on your trip, depending on where you go. On the road, hostels are often filled with people from all over the world who are looking for a place to stay while they’re traveling. If there’s an event like this happening in town (like an art exhibit or festival), then chances are good that everyone will be there at once!
Hostels also offer plenty of opportunities for mingling and meeting other travelers during free activities like movie nights and game nights. This can be especially fun if you’re staying in separate rooms because it gives you more space between each other so nobody feels claustrophobic during those long evenings when no one wants anything else but sleep anyway–especially if someone has been drinking too much alcohol beforehand!
You appreciate the little things in life more than you thought you would.
You appreciate the little things in life more than you thought you would.
We all know that traveling can be a lot of fun, but it’s easy to forget how special our lives are. The simple pleasures of a watermelon, the sound of birds tweeting and chirping, or even just feeling warm on a crisp autumn day–these are all things that make us happy when we’re away from home. And when we’re back at camp with nothing but nature around us (or in our hotel room), it’s easy to take those simple pleasures for granted!
But what happens if your favorite food is no longer available at camp? Or if there aren’t any animals around who can teach their young tricks like they used to? These might seem like small inconveniences now, but as soon as they’re gone…well…you get the picture.
You see things you never could have imagined before traveling.
Travelling helps you see the world in a different way. When you’re on the road, it’s easy to fall into a routine of seeing the same sights over and over again. But when you travel, you get to know your surroundings better and can see things from entirely new perspectives. You’ll learn things about people and places that are interesting or surprising–and that will make all the difference when it comes time for business meetings or networking events!
For example: I went to Australia once with my family when I was 19 years old; we had never been there before so didn’t know much about what to expect! My parents were worried about their safety, but after meeting locals who showed us around town (and even took us into their homes), they realized how safe they felt there compared with what they’d experienced back home in America at that age: no crime rate here at all!
You become a more considerate person.
Traveling is an incredible opportunity to be a better person. You become more aware of other people’s needs, and this can have a profound impact on your ability to relate to them. As a result of traveling, you will be more empathetic toward the struggles of others–which is something that we all need in our day-to-day lives! It also helps us become better listeners (especially when people are sharing their stories), thoughtful about what we say during conversation and considerate of those around us. In fact, one study found that travelers were found to be more open minded than non-travelers.
Traveling makes you a better version of yourself.
In the words of author and travel blogger Shannon Noll, “Traveling makes you a better version of yourself.”
The reason why is simple: when you’re traveling, you have less time to get stuck in your own head. When we stay put in one place for too long, we tend not only to become complacent but also lose track of what’s going on around us. We lose our ability to see things from other people’s perspectives or understand how they might feel about something–even if they don’t seem quite as upset as we do at that moment. Traveling helps keep these insights sharp by forcing us out into the world and letting them sink in over time with each new encounter that comes along (and no matter how much we may dread those experiences).
Traveling also allows us opportunities for introspection; this means more than just taking stock of where our life is at any given point in time–it also means looking inwardly at all aspects of ourselves that need improvement! While there are many ways we can improve ourselves through consistent practice (like exercising regularly), another way exists: through travel itself! Travel provides opportunities for growth beyond anything else imaginable because it forces us away from whatever comfort zone has become our default setting since childhood onward…
Traveling makes you more patient and understanding of others.
Traveling makes you more patient and understanding of others. You get to know people from different cultures, who have different customs and ways of life. And you learn to be more tolerant of other people’s customs and ways of life; accepting that there are many ways to live life.
When traveling around the world, you’ll see that people lead very different lives in their own countries than they do here in America (or anywhere else). For example: Americans tend not to eat insects as a part of their daily diets; however, this is common practice among many cultures around the world–including those who live near swamps where mosquitos thrive! So even though it might seem like an unusual idea at first glance or taste test (the texture), once you give it some thought…it may actually become one of your favorite foods!
Getting away from your routine can be rejuvenating and refreshing as well as challenging and exciting.
Travel can be a great way to get away from your routine and break free from the monotony of life. It can also be challenging, exciting and rejuvenating.
Traveling is an opportunity for you to experience something new. Whether it’s going somewhere new or seeing something that you’ve never seen before, traveling gives us an opportunity to explore our world in different ways than we would at home.
Traveling is an extremely rewarding experience
Traveling is an extremely rewarding experience. It can be emotional, life-changing and a great way to meet new people.
Traveling helps you appreciate the little things in life–like the beautiful scenery that you see on your travels or the simple joy of sitting on a cruise ship with nothing but time on your hands.
Conclusion
By now, you should have a much better idea of why traveling is such an awesome thing. It’s not just about the adventure—it’s also about the memories and experiences that make us who we are today. We hope this list has inspired you to go out there and see what all those people on your bucket list have seen before you!