Why do people travel? Is traveling healthy? Does travel change you? There are at least 21 reasons why people love to travel. Why do you travel?
1. You forget about your daily problems
Your laundry, the room you still have to clean, the crowded supermarkets. When you are traveling, you’ll forget all about these little annoying things.
2. You’ll learn to understand people better
At home, you’ll always meet up with the same people. When you’re traveling, you’ll probably meet people with completely different lives. You’ll see what it’s like to live in another country. Everywhere in the world, people have different norms and values, and when you meet these people, you might understand them better.
3. Travel makes you feel free
During a great trip, you sometimes feel like you’re the king (or queen) of the world. Only you decide what you want to do and to see and you don’t have any obligations. To feel free is one of the best feelings in the world!
4. You’ll collect lifelong memories
When I buy something new, for example, a laptop, I’m really happy for a week or so, but after a while, I’m used to it. After a great trip, I can be happy for years and years when I’m looking back at the amazing experience. Collect moments, not things is one of my favorite travel quotes. It’s so true and probably one of the main reasons why people travel.
5. You’ll learn to appreciate what you have
While you’re traveling, you can’t do anything else but to adapt to the local situation. In some countries, it’s not all as well organized as in your home country. That’s why you probably learn to appreciate your home more.
When I came back to Europe after traveling in Cuba for three weeks, I was so happy to be able to use a normal toilet again, which you didn’t have to flush with a bucket of water. And there was even toilet paper!
6. Get out of your comfort zone!
You’ll feel free while you’re traveling, and that makes it easier for you to get out of your comfort zone. For me, I’m always hesitant to talk to strangers while I’m in The Netherlands (I’m an introvert), but when I’m traveling solo, it’s way easier for me to talk to people I don’t know.
7. You can really be yourself
Because you feel free, it’ll be way easier to be yourself. You don’t have to pretend to be someone else to fit in, you can do whatever you want and nobody will judge you (because they don’t know you).
8. You’ll get to know yourself
Travel isn’t always fun, there can be some scary travel moments. You can’t always predict how you would react in some situations, not until you experience them. It’s not always fun, but you do learn a lot about yourself and how you would react in these situations.
9. You will always have interesting stories to tell
Have I ever told you that I was sleeping (more like trying to sleep) in a small beach hut in Port Barton (The Philippines) while a tropical storm was happening? I was so scared, the wind was banging against the windows (I thought they wouldn’t hold) and it sounded like a waterfall was falling on the roof.
That’s one of the many stories I can tell because I travel a lot. When you travel, there’s no doubt you’ll have a great story about the people you’ve met or crazy weather you’ve experienced. Something you just can’t experience when you stay home.
10. It’s easier to learn a new language
I know you try to learn a new language at home (maybe you use Duolingo as I do?), but learning a language is so much easier when you hear it all the time! I barely understood Spanish when I arrived in Peru, but after five weeks, I usually understood what people were telling me.
11. Travel can make your dreams come true
Do you have dreams and do you think they will never come true? Go travel and there’s a chance you might change your mind. When you travel, your brain seems to get some sort of reset, which makes you look different at things. I took one of my biggest life-changing decisions after a three month trip to the US.
12. You’ll learn to eat the local cuisine
Why do people travel? Most people love to eat and taste the local cuisine! For me, this is not the main reason to travel, but I do prefer to eat Italian food in Italy instead of eating it in The Netherlands. It tastes so much better in Italy!
13. Travel gives you that satisfied feeling
When you come home after a great trip, you’ll probably have that satisfied feeling. It might be because you got out of your comfort zone (you can do so much more than you think you can do) or because you’ve seen and experienced so many beautiful things. I personally love this feeling (and it always makes me want to travel more).
14. Travel opens your eyes
Sometimes you’re so consumed in your own world, that you don’t see what else is happening around you. Even when you see it on tv, the real experience always beats it and opens your eyes.
15. Travel brings people together
When you travel with someone, chances are you’ll have a closer bond than before. You’ve experienced so many awesome things together, and you can talk about these for years.
It’s also fun to meet up with people who like to travel to the same location as you do, you’ll have so many experiences to share with each other!
16. Travel is relaxing
Because you don’t have to think about your daily struggles and visit many beautiful places, traveling is very relaxing. I’m always very relaxed when I’m on a road trip in the USA (especially in Southwest USA). The landscape is so stunningly beautiful!
17. Do you need some good ideas? Go travel!
You’ll get the best ideas when you’re relaxed, and since travel can be very relaxing, it’s a win-win situation! I’m sure brainstorming when you’re drinking a cocktail at the pool will give you better ideas than when you’re stuck in a stuffy office.
18. Travel makes you more patient
Travel isn’t always fun, sometimes you have to wait (long). Waiting at the airport, at the bus station or to get into your hotel room. When you haven’t traveled before, this can be quite annoying, but you’ll get used to it. And you become more patient! You can’t change the situation, so you might as well use it by taking a nap, read a book (I always bring my e-reader), or play a game on your phone.
19. Having stuff becomes less important
The more you travel, the less stuff you want to bring with you. A fully packed suitcase is annoying and heavy. When you get back home, you’ll realize you don’t use all the things you’ve collected over time. So every time I come home after a big trip, I clean up and throw away the stuff I rarely use. It really helps to clear your head!
20. You’ll become more adventurous
When you travel, you don’t do the same things you would do at home. And that makes travel always more adventures. At home, you probably don’t even think about ziplining, but in the jungle in Costa Rica is so much fun and exciting!
21. Travel makes you happy!
Do I need to say more?
Why do people travel? Some interesting reads
Would you like to read more about the benefits of travel? I can recommend these books:
Why Travel Matters: A Guide to the Life-Changing Effects of Travel
Destination Earth: A New Philosophy of Travel by a World-Traveler
Why do you travel?
What’s your main reason to travel? Let me know by leaving a comment!
Did you like this article?
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– Travel mistakes I don’t want to make anymore
– Traveling solo: 8 lessons I’ve learned
– 30 inspirational travel quotes
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