Amanda PhillipsBenefits of Travelling
The things you will see and do when you decide to take the leap and go travelling are endless. It will open your eyes to the endless possibilities that are out there, which you may only get to experience once. Many people who have travelled always refer back to the same phrase of ‘finding themselves’. Travelling – especially if you decide to take the journey on your own – encourages you to think and ultimately learn who you are or who you want to be. Needing to adapt to different situations that you will never get to experience in ‘normal’ life will challenge you.
The idea of going somewhere where you don’t know a single person is extremely daunting. The relationships that you do form – and you will make friends there is no doubt about it – will be friends that you keep in contact with for the rest of your life. These friends will also teach you skills that you may otherwise would never have gained. Depending on what type of trip you are taking will depend entirely on the types of situations you will find yourself in. Skills are transferable in any situation and building on these skills will broaden your knowledge and make your whole travelling experience that more fulfilling.
Wherever you decide to travel, not everyone will speak your language. As you delve into the local villages in Vietnam or India for instance, the locals would be grateful for any efforts you make to breach the language barrier. You will pick these up wherever your journey takes you next and arrive back home with a number of new languages under your belt. Venturing into these parts of the world, if you have the chance, gives you a great sense of perspective on different cultures and life in general. No matter where you decide to travel to, the ways of living are entirely different and this will make you appreciate and enjoy life that little bit more.
A lot of people use travel as a transitioning period. Maybe changing careers, finishing university or just taking some time off before embarking on a big life changing event – people use travelling as a way of escaping reality for a short while. Some people on the other hand use the experience as a way to educate or re-educate themselves. Being somewhere completely different to what you are used to encourages you to fend for yourself and learn about things that you may never have thought of before.
Many people enjoy the challenge and creating that sense of adventure for themselves is a common trait for someone embarking on a self-travelling excursion. Life is all about conquering your fears and doing things that may be hard but are extremely rewarding. Travelling presents these in abundance and fulfilling a task you have set yourself at the beginning of the trip is the best adrenaline rush you will ever experience. These daily challenges that you will face allow you to do something new and exciting that you have never done before. Being stuck in a rut, doing the same things day after day, week after week is not exciting. When you are travelling, every day is different. Every day is a new adventure. Every day is exciting.
If you started your journey as a fussy eater, you will certainly not end it the same way! The amazing contrast of cuisines that you will enjoy in any country you decide to visit will be extraordinary. You may be lucky to learn home-made recipes from locals which you can share with your family when deciding to return home.
Also the numerous stories that you will tell over and over again without ever getting bored of will drive your friends and family insane with jealousy! The unique ‘had to be there’ experiences will make you become the life and soul of every party for the rest of your life (or maybe a few years at least). Being able to share these stories with both family and friends and proving to yourself as well as them that you can do it features heavily in a travellers guide to exploration. Being able to cope on your own in a foreign country without any home comforts is an achievement that will make you grow as a person and make you hold your head up that little bit higher.
Or if you are reading this and have been or thinking of going travelling and think that none of these reasons apply to you, then you may be one of these people that wakes up one morning and says;
‘I am going to do it just for the hell of it!’
Sometimes in life you don’t need a reason to do something. Just doing that thing that will make you happy is reason enough. Making yourself happy and doing something that will benefit you is the reason why we decide to do things.
The world is there to be seen and travelling is the ultimate excuse to go and see it.
So just do it!