One of the best ways to truly get to know ourselves is through travel. Travel teaches us what our true values are and unlocks things about ourselves that we never even knew were there.
1. Travel is a Self-fulfilling Prophecy
It costs nothing to dream and everything not to. ~Unknown
The more you travel, the more you want to go. And, the more you realize your bucket list gets longer, not shorter. Travel teaches us that knowledge about the world increases our awareness of just how small our part of the world is. Itโs an insatiable quest that can never be fully achieved. But damn, if Iโm not going to try.
2. When to Take Photos and When to Live in the Moment
Watch where you step โ thereโs beauty all around us. Sometimes you need to put your camera down and take it all in without the perspective of an artificial lens. The benefits of traveling in โreal-timeโ are more valuable than any photo youโll take or IG post you create.
3. A Guidebook is Just a Good Place to Start
Travel Inspiration
I love a helpful travel guide, but it shouldnโt be the end of your research. Travel teaches us, there isnโt a guidebook in existence that can tell you everything you need or want to know. They are an excellent resource for the beaten path, but sometimes you need to leave the road well-trodden and forge a new one of your own. The most valuable lessons learned from traveling may require you to expand your comfort zone.
4. You Learn a Lot About a Place from the Food and the People
Donโt tell me how educated you are. Tell me how much youโve traveled. ~Prophet Mohammed
What herbs and spices do they use? Where is the origin of their art & music? Why are the steps to the cathedrals so narrow? Why do they cover their mouths when they smile? The answers may surprise and educate you. Dig a little deeper โ you may learn more about a place spending an afternoon visiting fallen temples, rather than in a stack of college degrees.
5. Free WIFI
Puts Knowledge at Our Fingertips
Finding a good, fast Wifi connection can make your day so much better. Need I say more? Travel teaches us you donโt have to leave home to figure this one out. When you are far from home, lost or stuck in airport hell, having access to the Internet can bring home closer a sigh of relief or a prescription from boredom.
6. Travel is Unpredictable.
Lessons Learned from Traveling
Travel teaches us that even the best-laid plans can be disrupted by a missed turn, a missed plane, or a missed opportunity. Travel teaches us that some of my favorite journeys were accidents or sheer dumb luck. Do plan, but donโt fall apart if you have to make new ones. Sometimes the devil is in the details, and you need to be flexible to avoid him.
7. Thereโs no place like home.
Benefits of Traveling
I love to travel. However, travel teaches us that growth has to occur where we live too. And sometimes you have to travel far to appreciate what you have at home. Travel teaches us, thereโs no place like home.
Want to learn more about how to get the most out of your travels? Click Here to learn about slow travel and traveling with intention.
