However, true travel is a life-altering journey that has nothing to do with staying a night at the newest hotel or lounging out at the hottest beach. When travel is done right, it can change you like nothing else in the world can. I’m often quoted saying, “Travel is about cutting all ties and ditching all preconceived judgements, and getting truly lost – because only then can you find yourself.”
When you’re traveling in a foreign land, where no one speaks your language and you know no one, you must step outside of your comfort zone and make a true effort. You can only travel alone for so long before it’s time for you to open yourself up and experience the culture, the people and their way of life. There’s no safety net of family and friends when you’re traveling, only the people of the world – who are only strangers once. While there are always some people that are best to be avoided, I’ve found that majority of the people of the world are genuine and worth getting to know.
2. Travel overcomes your judgements, and your ego
No matter if you have preconceived expectations or premeditated judgements about a place and its people, you will find soon enough from firsthand experience what their lifestyle is like, and you’re almost always completely wrong. Letting yourself become humbled and opening up your heart is nothing to be afraid of, but it will happen whether you want it to or not. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the most natural, beautiful, and humbling experiences one can have. You will learn just as much about yourself, as you will about the others that you cross paths with.
3. Travel makes you put yourself out there
When you’re traveling and if you’re living from a backpack, you are vulnerable to the people you meet and the places you go. It can be terrifying at times, but without the roller coaster moments of the good and the bad, you can never truly know who you really are. It’s one of the most important parts of growing up – this is why the rite of passage type trips have been such a normal experience for so many young adults to experience. Whether you’re staying in hotels, hostels or are surfing couches, it’s important to open yourself up to new things, because it’s your time to be changed, and to also leave your own everlasting impact on others.
4. Travel will never let you return the same
It’s important to experience the many cultures, religions, and people of this world. There are so many lessons that different outlooks and experiences through travel can teach you. These lessons can serve you through the highest points in your life and the darkest trials you come to face, but without which you’re sorely stunting your growth and potential of your own personal growth, influenced by your own life experiences and realizations.