7 reasons why travel can enrich your life

Posted by Barry Muijen in Personal Growth.

Since a young age, I have been traveling and exploring new worlds. I love being on the road, and having this unique feeling that comes along with it. In my eyes it gives you this rare energy, and the taste of freedom is so unique you can’t really compare it with other experiences. The times when you experience more in a single day then you might experience in an entire month back home are inseparable and what is even better, those days are quite common.

For those who already had their piece of traveling this might be a fun list to read. The ones that haven’t seen the world yet or are in doubt to go traveling this may be a very inspirational article.

Yes, it is. Perhaps it sounds a bit strange but you will be learning so many new things while traveling. For example, when I was on the road for a few months I realized that my perspective on life became so much greater. You become aware of the real differences in peoples lives, issues that simultaneously come along with those contrasts and that there is always more then what you see and experience. Behind every new door you open or new experience, you realize that you will become aware of another dozen new worlds. 
The things your learn at ‘the travel university’ are useful for the rest of your life. 

Traveling through remote areas or places in the world that may not be as developed as your own home will make you think about your own living conditions. I’ve crossed regions where the majority lives in some of the poorest conditions, parts where an open sewage is normal and where kids barely know about some of the qualities we have. Appreciation of what we already have and may be thankful about won’t come until we experience these sights with our own eyes. This realization is truly valuable and results in the fact that you will be more satisfied about life. 

The vast majority of people you will meet during your travels have a lot in common. You drink, talk and have fun with each other. But, a small group of all those people will lead to real friendships; the ones where you will partly travel together with. Because of all the different nationalities you’ll have friends all over the world, which is really convenient and exciting later on. 

One of the most important reason traveling made my life richer is that I got to know myself better. I realized what I felt comfortable about and what made me feel happy. You will start to point out what you really want and how you are going to reach your goals. The fact that this was happening during my travels I think is because you can grasp and taste so much more of the world. You’ll be able to decide on certain things and become more peaceful in life. Traveling urges you to become independent, there is no pressure from friends or family what ultimately leads to truly learning to be your self.

One may want to travel alone, another tries to find a buddy to experience a big journey with. Both have their pros and cons. Nevertheless, because I experienced it myself I have to say that traveling with a friend may produce something special. The time I was on the road for a few months with a friend of mine turned out to be one of the most valued friendships so far. The combination of traveling together really brought up the best in us, which led to a summary of many great ideas where we are still working on to this day. Likewise after not seeing each other for sometime now, its always great to have a beer and exchange thoughts what brings us to the next chapter.

It may sound cliché but the travel experiences are really etched in my memory. Not like the standard ones, they almost feel like you can re-experience them while talking about it. They are timeless and whenever you bring those memories back you feel good. I think this is a powerful gift that you can use whenever you feel a bit sad or dissapointed.

Yes you may do! Wouldn’t that be beautiful, to find the one somewhere far from your home base? A lot of people don’t even think about the possibility that this also could happen while traveling. Think about all the amazing new worlds that come along with it, the new stuff you’ll learn about each other and what this huge change will bring you. A great friend of mine met his girl in Panama City while traveling. He is now married and told me he wouldn’t have found someone like her back home, in addition he learned Spanish, got to know their culture and accomplished so much more. I admire this wonderful story and hope many more will follow his steps. 

I am sure there are a dozen more ways in which traveling will make your life richer. Hopefully this article inspired you or brought up some great memories from your own journeys. To get some ideas for your next trip definitely try National’s Geographic’s Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips. And please, don’t hesitate to add some of your own experiences below in the comment section!