We all know that travel is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Whether it is with friends, family, or solo everyone needs to get out there and experience the world at least once in their lives. And although most of us understand the value of a good trip, I don’t believe there are many that truly get the extent to how travel can enrich your life and give you a whole new sense of purpose.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

Smash Sterotypes and Open Your Mind

Travel enriches your life by exposing you to so many new things. From sights, sounds, people, and experiences. While on your journey you are able to see and experience different countries and cultures, interact with people from different religions, backgrounds, etc. and eat food you may not normally have while at home.

Often times we are force fed an idea of what a specific culture, country or religion should be and by traveling you are able to witness first hand how wrong so many of the sterotypes we grow up learning are.

How do you make the most out of travel to learn? Become more culturally immersive. Stay, live and break bread with the locals. Skip the tourist attractions and opt to spend the day like a local. Shopping at the market in the town square, go to a family-owned cafe, TALK TO SOMEONE!

“He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.” – Chinese Proverb

Improve Your Mental Health

To anyone who deals with mental health matters, myself included, there are times we feel defeated. Whether it is not knowning your purpose or feeling like your life has no excitement, I have found that travel is one of the best medicines. Not only is it one of the fastest ways you can grow as a human, it is also a way to rediscover who YOU are as an individual and find a passion/purpose.

Pro Tip: Get involved. Look into International Volunteerism and how you can give back to a community. Not only will you feel good about yourself and what you are doing, but you will also be helping out so many people and giving them something to be excited about and look forward to. You can literally change lives – yours and others.

“So much of who we are, is where we have been.” – William Langewiesche

Become The Best Version of Yourself

Not only does traveling teach you about other cultures and people but, it teaches even more about yourself. You will learn how brave, strong, independent, and amazing you are. I am someone with some serious anxiety and self-esteem issues. When I travel I am a whole different person. I am the true me. A confident, fearless (to an extent), and welcoming woman who is open to trying new experiences and meeting new people. I am not reserved or self-conscious. I put it out there and let the world take me as I am. You have nothing to lose by putting yourself out there. You do, however, have the world to gain.

“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes

Get More Comfortable in Social Situations

If you are shy or somewhat reserved, you need to travel! Meeting new people while traveling is one of the easiest things to do and the best part is that you will meet people from all over the world. I have made life-long friends through my travels. Some I am closer to than friends I have had for years. You could meet the most amazing people but, you will never know unless you put yourself out there.

Pro tip: If you are more shy and nervous about approaching a random person find a local pub and sit at the bar. Have a drink and make a casual conversation with the bartender. Through that, other patrons are most likely going to join into the conversation and thus breaking that barrier helping you to engage someone new. It’s a safer place and if you ever feel uncomfortable – you can just leave. I promise though, you won’t regret it.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” -Lao Tzu

You’ll Learn to Become More Adaptable and Embrace the Unknown

I have never been on a trip where something didn’t happen. Whether lost luggage or a ride on the wrong metro, at some point during your journey something will go wrong. It is OK. It HAPPENS. It’s LIFE. How you handle it will make a world of difference. We all know that over-reacting and getting flustered and angry will never help a situation. However, many people react that way. By being prepared, going into a journey expecting the unexpected, you will already be ahead of the curve. This is not to say you still won’t have a mini-panic attack when a flight is delayed but, you will learn how to cope with unexpected changes better and be able to apply it to all aspects of your life.

I could honestly go on and on about how travel has changed my life and can change yours but, rather I will end by sharing this….

“The only trip you’ll regret, is the one you don’t take.” – author unknown