People always ask me how travel has changed me. When I look back at who I was before I began traveling and compare it to who I am today, I have to admit that travel made me much more well-rounded and a better person in general. If anything, I’m way cooler than I was at 18 when I first left my home, Dubrovnik, to explore the big world.
In my opinion, travel makes everyone a more awesome. I’m not saying this to sound conceited but it’s natural to gravitate toward people with different experiences than yours. Travel doesn’t only leave you with the whole new set of qualities that attract people to you but it also makes you stronger.
It makes you smarter.
Unless you’re spending your days in hotel resorts complaining about too much brown sugar in your mojito, travel will teach you about life. You will learn about cultures, history and people of places you visit. You will get a first hand experience about stuff you could only dream about. This on-road experience will give you a better understanding about how different cultures behave and how it all works.
It makes you more adaptable.
Once you took all the wrong buses, missed a few flights, took many wrong turns, ate horrible street food and experienced even more bullshit, you will learn how to adapt your plans to changing situations. After some time, you don’t get angry anymore; you don’t yell at airport stuff because you have to spend a night in the lobby and eat crackers for dinner (and breakfast!), you stop bitching about being stuck in traffic, or because someone showed you the wrong direction. Shit happens; It’s big part of life and travel will teach how to stay calm when nothing goes your way.
It makes you less materialistic. If you travel constantly, soon you will realise how little stuff you actually need. All this crap that they sell at the mall is useless in leading a truly happy life.The more you own, the more it owns you. Traveling around will show you that, at the end of the day, you can function as a minimalist.
It will make you more confident. Once you travel the world you will understand that the stuff you worried about before doesn’t matter at all. If you ever doubted in your abilities or listened what other people say about the way you live your life, the journey will set you free. Why ? You will do some incredible things completely out of your comfort zone. You will navigate the unknown cities or hike the big mountains. You will meet a perfect stranger and have the time of your life in a place where no one knows you. You will try exotic food. You will swim and dive in the Ocean. No matter what it this that you’ll do while traveling, after you accomplish it, you will become unstoppable. You will develop an ability to achieve almost anything you set your mind to.
Travel will teach you how to relax and be happy. It will make you push your boundaries and try some new things. You will become more social and open to new ideas.
The choice is yours. You can either sit at home and wish you were somewhere else or have fun and do something cool in a new, exotic place.
