Explore. Have fun. Grow. Embrace your Wanderlust.
The world. It’s a big place. And there are so many reasons to travel it. I’ve highlighted 20 here, and I hope they inspire you! Wanderlust is a word thrown around a lot by those into travel and backpacking and for good reason, it perfectly sums up the desire felt by many people to leave their homes and go out into the big wide world and explore. But for some people it’s hard to fathom – what drives this desire? Why travel the globe? Well getting married and settling down into a 9 to 5 routine isn’t for everyone so to help explain this urge to wander, here’s a list of 20 reasons to travel the world! Travel can be an awesome experience! Embrace your wanderlust!
Here’s 20 reasons to travel the world!
1. See the famous sites!
To start with the most obvious of all reasons to travel, to go and see the attractions. Growing up you hear all about the amazing sites in the world – now’s your chance to go and see them for yourself! Somewhere like Angkor Wat can not truly be appreciated online or in a book, you need to see it for yourself to really understand it’s magnificence!
2. Meet interesting new people!
You can meet some amazing people on the road and can get a wonderful insight into their lives! They can be both other travellers or locals, from all different kids of social backgrounds. Take the time to chat to people you meet and share your experiences with them!
3. Experience new cultures!
All over the world human beings live in different ways to each other, with different belief systems and different methods of interacting. Travel enables you to experience a different way of doing things, whether as a spectator or actually getting involved! Most of all it can challenge your preconceptions about people.
4. Learn about different history!
Wherever you’ve grown up chances are your historical education was limited to your own country or region’s perspective. Whilst you can read books and watch documentaries to expand on this nothing beats learning about another place’s history first hand. Whether it be by visiting museums or ruins, from taking tours or just speaking to locals, there are many different perspectives to hear and see. Try a variety and see what you enjoy!
5. Try new foods!
No matter how many restaurants or cookbooks you’ve tried out as home, actually going to a different country will bring many new culinary experiences! Some food you will obviously know from home, but you will get to try it as the locals intended. Other food will be brand new to you, be it a local twist on something or a new dish all together! Different climates also mean different types of fruit and vegetables can be grown. This means even dishes you are used to may be made differently. There will of course be different techniques as well, depending where you go. Local people may not have access to the same cooking facilities as you are used to at home. The different style of cooking will then effect the outcome. You can enjoy all kinds of new tastes and flavours!
6. Build your own confidence!
As you explore you will develop your ability to cope with the various obstacles that you experience and you will learn to interact with a whole different variety of personalities and situations as you encounter them. All this really helps develop confidence in your own ability to get things done, which is one of the major benefits of travelling!
7. Live to your own schedule!
When you don’t have any deadlines other than your own (or when the visa runs out but hey) you can create your own itinerary and go at a pace that makes you happy. And if you’re happy then you’re doing something right!
8. Create memories!
Sometimes you just gotta choose – when you’re older and looking back on your life is the going to work and the same bar every week that you want to remember? Or the time you saw something awesome or did something spectacular? Sure often we have to get through the mundane to get the cash and time to do things with our lives, so make sure it counts!
9. Relax!
Modern life is stressful! Work, family, friends, it can all be very demanding! Detox yourself by finding a hammock in a new place, lying back with a good book and forget about all those worries for a time!
10. Party!
Because sometimes you just gotta let yourself go! Whilst I would never say this should be the most important of any reasons to travel, it is still nice to have a good time with new people and in new environments. Just be sensible! Remember this isn’t about getting wasted, it’s about having a good time!
11. Challenge your perspective!
Going to a different country can not only give you an insight into a different way of living, it can show you that there are other ways of thinking that you may not have considered before, be this in regards to religion or history or just everyday life.
12. Escape routine! Refresh yourself!
Get up, go to work, go home, sleep, repeat. Modern life can get very dull – travel is a way to break this routine and bring that spark to your life that you might be missing! Of all these great reasons to travel perhaps this can be the one that motivates people the most. Certainly a trip away can help you eliminate stress and give you time to think about your life. This might just be a simple as relaxing and taking some time to chill out. And that is great, But perhaps if you need it there could be more? As mentioned travel can show you different cultures and help you meet different kinds of people. Don’t be afraid to learn from them, in addition to simple curiosity perhaps they can be a positive influence on your life.
13. Learn new social skills!
Travel greatly improves your own social and communication skills as you learn to communicate and understand people with whom you have little or no words in common. You will learn to interact and share your time with people of all different walks of life.
14. Be blown away by nature!
Sometimes you just have to take a step back and say ‘wow’
15. Try new activities!
Wherever it’s more outdoors like Rock Climbing, Kayaking and Ziplining or indoors like cooking classes or art workshops, travel throws up great opportunities to try out new things.
16. Find a new career!
When you’re out and about in the world you might suddenly discover a love for something you’ve never thought of before, and the inspiration to take it up! As I mentioned one of the main reasons to travel is to refresh yourself, and what better way than this?
17. Appreciate different art and music!
Whether it’s through street musicians or bands in bars, extravagant art galleries or street art, when you travel to new places you are exposed to and the opportunity to immerse yourself in new music and art! You might even find some new favourites!
18. Discover what interests and motivates you!
Let’s face it, in the modern age it can be difficult to discover what you really want from life. School seems all about grades, social media can be a barrage of people showing off and work about what’s available in your home town. Travel allows you to discover what it is that actually makes you get up in the morning and face the world!
19. Make new friends!
Perhaps the greatest reason of all, sharing travel experiences with people can create strong bonds and give you new lifelong friends!
20. See pretty sunsets!
The world is a beautiful place and sometimes all you need is a glorious sunset to remind you of this!
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” ― Anonymous
I hope you enjoyed this post and are feeling inspired to embark on your own travel adventures. If you are travelling solo then check out my solo travel advice here.
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