Why Traveling Is Worth The Money You Spend
There is not a better way to spend money, than spending money on travel.
Says me, and science. It boils down to experiences. They stay with you and forge your identify forever. You are a sum of all your experiences. Material goods are distinctly separate and their value grows faint over time. The experiences gained from travel encompass a host of positives that all of which point to money well spent. Here are ten reasons why traveling is worth the money you spend. Staying Power Does the iPod Nano you received on Christmas Day 2005 still excite you? No, I didn’t think so. The moment you received it probably doesn’t even register, but that road trip you took with your three bros to Chicago- that you remember. Traveling stays with you. Traveling is remembered in memories, often re-visited with new friends, and always makes for good story-time. Even better, one trip doesn’t fade from memory just because you go take another trip. Memories Not to belabor a point, but traveling makes for memories. You will recall a previous trip after it has happened. It won’t be forgotten. Even to this day, I look back at pictures from my time studying abroad and relive those memories even though I’ve looked at those pictures a thousand times. It all stays with you, good or bad- the memories are there. Challenge Travel invites challenge. Planning a trip, catching flights, and navigating a new city are sometimes difficult. No matter, once the tickets are booked these challenges are unavoidable. That’s why travel is great because it places you in the midst of potential challenge and forces you to adapt and solve. This might sound stressful, but once you’re back home and swiping through the pictures you will be reminded of how you adapted and it will make you a better person. 
Riding Camels in The Sahara Desert
The Opportunity to Try New Things
One of my mottos is that life is boring if we stop trying new things. Going somewhere new is the epitome of trying something new because everything you know is now unfamiliar. Everything is interesting and exciting. Travel allows for adventurous new activity like scuba diving, but it also makes the mundane interesting such as when you order food without even knowing the language. Who knew breakfast could be so exciting? Perspective If you gain new perspective, then you gain more understanding. Seeing how other people live, how they eat, how they interact with one another, and how they relax will re-shape your viewpoint of previously held positions. Where you will enjoy more tolerance for other people, you will also be exposed to many new ideas- and having an abundance of ideas is never a bad thing. A Better You Yea it’s corny and sounds ridiculous, but travel will change you, with one exception. You must be open to the new place you are visiting otherwise you never left your bubble. Regular travel will make you more adaptive, patient, understanding, empathetic, and humble. I think it goes without saying these are all redeeming qualities. I call that money well spent. Shredding Stereotypes Traveling forces interactions with others. A traveler constantly must ask questions, get help, and engage with an unknown populace. By the time the trip is over, you will have likely gained a new perspective on what a person is and you will no longer define them by lazy and misguided caricatures. People are people and you find that out the more you talk to them. Friends around the Globe Travel and honest interaction with new people will result in some unlikely friendships with people all around the world. Good friends are priceless and it sure doesn’t hurt to have a place to stay when the travel bug inevitably hits and you’re boarding that plane. Friends are great and you can never have too many. Living History As a kid, I always dreamed of visiting the places I was taught about in history books. After all, seeing is believing. Being able to visit thousand year-old temples, magnificent works of architecture, and ancient crumbling ruins makes history come to life and gives visual proof that all that’s come before you really happened. It’s truly a wonderful thing. 
Chefchaouen, Morocco also known as "The Blue City"
Unique Stories to Tell
Ibn Battuta once said "traveling leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." Maybe a bit egocentric, but traveling gives you amazing stories to tell everybody back home. Eventually your friends and family might tell you to shut up about that time in the Croatian Mediterranean, but new people you meet in life will learn a lot from hearing about your experiences. You will come across as more educated, tolerant, empathetic, and adaptive- because you are. That’s what traveling does. Its monetary value is invaluable. So, just go. Now. |
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