It’s Friday and we don’t know about you, but as soon as the weekend starts, we are making plans, calling friends, doing everything possible to make sure we have a nice weekend we can tell other about. We see to be always programing small activities: going to the movies, going out for a drink and a bite to eat, visiting a museum, bowling and that’s about it. But shouldn’t we be thinking about the bigger picture? Shouldn’t we be making plans that result in activities which last longer and are more fulfilling? Yes, we are talking about travel and the wonderful benefits it has. If you are not sure, if you’re not a fan of airline travel, if you think you don’t have enough money to spend, here are some reasons that should convince you to change your mind. Here are ten reasons why you should start to pack.
1. Because you’re (still) young
Life goes a lot faster than when we thought when we were five or ten years old, so there isn’t too much time to lose. Now is the time to stay awake until 5 am on a beach in Greece, the Bahamas or wherever you want. Now it’s time to eat silkworms in Korea or fried spiders in Cambodia. Now, before it is too late, before you have a small child and travelling is out of the question, before you think about buying a house.
2. For inspiration
New places, colors, smells, buildings, people, new streets are wellsprings of inspiration, so … if you have a creative mind, you should definitely pick up inspiration wherever you can. That means you should travel more, to numerous destinations and even unusual ones.
3. For stories
Life itself is a collection of experiences and stories. Leave an inheritance consisting of the stories you will tell your children and your grandchildren. You want to see their big eyes while you are telling them about your amazing adventures in the desert or in that summer when you backpacked to Europe just by hitchhiking. Or do you just want to have fun explaining to them how you got that big promotion in 2018? Time to make a decision to live by.
4. For friends
Many, cheerful, from all over the world and always willing to give you a couch when you decide to come back. This is the way your gang of friends should look like. Are you okay with the 1857 friends on Facebook It’s time you log out and learn as much as possible about different ideas, languages and cultures of our neighbors on the planet. Really get to know them and you will make friends for life.
5. For food
Truly, one of the best reasons why you should see as much of the world as possible, especially if you are interested in more than pizza and hamburgers. You think you love your local cuisine? Wait until you experience the incredible taste of the Turkish kokoreç! There is a world of flavors waiting to be tasted. Do not be picky.
6. For you
There is no better way to find yourself than to leave your daily routine, put a considerable distance between you and what is familiar and see how you are able to function alone, outside, away from the printing press of social rules. Only away from material possessions you can lift the veil from your eyes and you can see the past, present and, why not, and future. Would you be able to answer the question “who are you” if someone were to ask you right now?
7. For the spirit
Hemingway described Paris as “a mobile feast” and said that “wherever you go, it will always stay with you for life”. When traveling, a part of you is changed forever and when you return your spirit is newer, wiser and perhaps, better.
8. For confidence
Self-confidence is earned only if you overcome your fears, inhibitions and cope with situations outside your comfort zone. And where can you be more out of your comfort zone than outside the country?
9. For risk
As we age, we are willing to take increasingly less risk, according to researchers. So take risks, rent a moped in Thailand for $ 5, with no clue where to take it.
10. For perspectives
A change of perspective feels like you are taking a deep breath after a long day. We cannot understand the world we live in, we cannot get the big picture unless we look at it from as many angles as possible.
