I think my love for travel really began with my first trip to Hawaii on a cruise around the islands with my family back in 2004. Don’t get me wrong, I loved to travel before that, but for some reason I really appreciated the vacation and all the cool, new things I was being exposed to.
Since that trip I have been on so many more cool trips with family and friends including:
• A cruise to Mexico
• A cruise to Alaska
• A cruise to the Bahamas
• A cruise to the Caribbean
• Spring break at Panama City Beach
• Summer quarter studying at U. Hawaii Hilo (click here for my blog post)
• Hungary, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, England, Scotland, France
• Whistler and Vancouver
• Oregon, California, Texas, Nevada, New York, Georgia
So, what exactly does all of that mean to me?
Every time I come back from a vacation, someone says to me: “Welcome back to reality”
Reality? Think about that phrase. Yes, where you went probably introduced you to new cultures, people, and experiences, BUT it was still YOUR reality. Something you chose to do and experience. Just because it may have been a flashy tropical destination doesn’t mean it wasn’t still your reality.
For some, the thought of travel, especially internationally is scary. They would rather live a “safe” life than a life spent realizing that America is such a small and often insignificant part of the rest of the world. You realize you are no better than anyone else and despite what you might think or read, a majority of the world will welcome you with a smile.
People are often paralyzed with fear because of how accessible news and media are these days. It seems that every day there is another terrorist attack or shooting. I’m here to tell you, DON’T LET THAT STOP YOU FROM TRAVELING. Despite what you may see in the news, don’t forget that the world is big and evil will continue to happen no matter what.
I think I really realized how important my travels were to me when I saw Rick Steve’s speak a few weeks ago about his 2017 European travels. He went off on a tangent about the items I just mentioned above. It struck me. I have friends who are scared to travel. That is their choice and I can only be there to let them know about the true highs and lows.
The 5 biggest benefits of travel:
From the things I have discussed above, here are the five benefits wrapped up into a few words.
- Learn / Be immersed in new languages
- Explore cultural differences
- Explore cultural similarities
- Discover history
- Gain independence
I hope that my ramblings made sense to you. I don’t often write about personal beliefs. I like to keep my blog pretty neutral and share my travels with you.
#travel #traveleducation #education #experience #traveloften #wanderlust
