Best Reasons to Travel
Looking for an excuse to get out there and have an adventure? Can't think of a reason on your own? Here are a few of our best reasons to travel. Feel free to leave comments below of your best reasons to travel!
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
-St. Augustine
The people. Traveling can teach you an assortment of things, like how to build meaningful and lasting relationships. Be open to meeting new people and engaging in conversation with them, you will be amazed to see how longstanding relationships can develop over a shared moment with a fellow traveler.
It's not as expensive as you think. With commercials, movies and the like, there are many people thinking they have to drop a couple hundred on a room each night at some fancy hotel. Forget about the all-inclusive resort! I can tell you first-hand that the experience you gain at a resort is not truly one of locals. There are plenty of budget options, such as hostels, that make your sleeping arrangements affordable and leave you more to spend on activities and adventures. Plus, it's a really great way to meet other travelers! Be daring, stay in a budget place and explore the true gems each new place has to offer!
The memories. Twenty or thirty years from now, you aren't going to remember what your final exam score was, or which project your boss delegated to you right after Spring quarter projections came out. What you will remember: riding a bicycle down a volcano on a tropical island, jumping off waterfalls, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, riding along on an African Safari. The memories are the treasures you carry with you for a lifetime, not just a fleeting moment.
Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.
-Terry Pratchett
The views. Okay, so the views are part of the memories, we get it. But they are still amazing enough to deserve their own reason on this list. Ever hear someone tell you "the pictures don't do it justice"? It's true! I once saw a picture of Half Dome in Yosemite and said "cool", wondering why I was being shown a picture of a rock. But hiking out to Dewey Point, overlooking the valley and being able to see Half Dome and El Capitan across from the rocky ledge I scooted onto was breathtaking. I was speechless, it's not an experience that can be defined by a picture and no easier can be put into words. It was like I had been holding my breath for 25 years and only now was learning to breathe.
The cultures. Many people have had an experience in grade school, where they read about a different culture or tradition, but they never really see how that culture implements their traditions. Don't get me wrong, books are great to get a cultural conversation started, but there is not better way to learn about a culture than to dive right into the middle of it. Traveling allows us the opportunities to learn about other cultures and develop respect for people and cultures worldwide.
The food. Have you ever had a steak? Great, me too. Have you ever had a steak in Buenos Aires, Argentina? Argentina is known for their meats, the steak is juicy, cooked just-right and is even free range. Don't plan to leave the table hungry!
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
-Mark Twain
Relax and Recharge. People who take time off for vacation are less likely to feel burnt out or 'checked out' from their job. That leads to more productivity in the workplace. Employees: use your vacation days! Employers: Encourage vacations!
It's good for your health. There are a variety of studies that have been done on the effects traveling has on your health. The general benefits seem to be that traveling regularly lowers the risk of heart disease,
helps you live longer and aides in prevention of dementia and Alzheimer's. Traveling also makes you happier and reduces stress, a common factor in aging looks.
Learning. Are you a student? Studies show that students who travel abroad are not only more likely to complete their college degree but are also likely to earn higher incomes than their classmates who did not travel. Traveling also teaches us in ways we don't expect simply by interacting with people in other cultures. We learn about tradition, food, and more and become more well-rounded in doing so.
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.
-Maya Angelou
