Why you should pack your bags and go traveling
by Sylvia on 20/02/09 at 4:38 am
photo by firma
I have always liked to travel. Something within me just wants to go and explore places. It certainly did not come from my parents as my father tended to get homesick really quickly and never wanted to leave home. After numerous pleas from me and my brother he would reluctantly go with us somewhere a few hours away from where we lived. How I longed to discover more exotic places.
My first real trip abroad was with a friend to Italy. I was 16. Another milestone was my first trip by airplane when I was 21, flying to Abu Dhabi of all places! But now I have been in many airplanes and have seen places all over the world. The only continent that I really still need to discover is South America so that will be something to look forward to.
So is traveling important? Does it enrich your live. Of course I would say a resounding YES and here are some reasons to back that up.
You learn
You may have heard about other cultures in the class room or know that there are other ways of doing things. But not until you have truly experienced it will you fully understand it or remember it.
You learn about:
- other ways of doing things
- different religions
- different ways of practising and enjoying music
- different ways of doing art
- different foods
- a new way of speaking
- about how the world works
Your senses get stimulated
The things you see and experience on your travels will stay with you for life. Some memories are still so alive in your head that it feels like you are still there. You can get lots of new ideas for your art or other creative acitivities. Being away from your usual surroundings will really stimulate your creativily and thinking.
You can leave your responsibilities and worries behind for a few weeks
It is so important to not have anything to worry about for a few weeks. (so don’t take your work with you on holiday!) These few weeks can really give you the energy to revitalize your mind and keep you going.
You learn to be advanturous
In many cases you will need to step out of your comfort zone. You may need to speak in a different language, eat foods that you are not familiar with, get into a car with complete strangers, get along with people in your travel group that are very different from yourself. All this is very good for your development as a person. It feels amazing when you have accomplished things you never thought you could. Knowing that you can accomplish things if you just set your mind to it may help you to achieve more in your day-to-day life as well.
You get reminded about the beauty in the world
Sometimes you can get so overwhelmed with all the bad news in the newspaper and on television that you forget that there are still many places of quietness and beauty in this world. Seek those amazingly beautiful places out and forget about everything else. Very relaxing and refreshing.
You become more tolerant
While traveling you experience many different ways that people live and do things. But even though people do things in a different way you also realise that they are not very different from you. They too want to be happy, be loved and be with their families. They too want to live in a safe and clean world.
You get more appreciation for what you currently have
In some places that you visit living conditions are so bad that you feel truly blessed with the life you have. It really puts things into perspective. Travelling to those places really makes you appreciate all the things that you have at home. If what you saw empowers you to act and help then this is great too. Both for yourself and the world.
You will become a better leader
As a leader you will need to manage different people, often from different cultures and backgrounds. You will have a much better chance of managing all those people better when you understand where they come from, understand their culture and habits.
I hope I have given you enough reasons to pack up your bags and go traveling! If you want to add on to my reasons for traveling then add your suggestions below. Happy travels!
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