After spending so much time (and money) travelling around the world and living abroad over the last decade, I can safely that travel deserves to be a priority in your life.
Many of us have a limiting belief that travel is out of reach. Only for wealthy people who have too much time on their hands. However, this is simply not true (especially if you are still fit and unattached!).
I have experienced first-hand the benefits of travelling and the ways it has enriched my life for the better. Even if I never travel again a day in my life, I will be reaping the rewards of investing in my exploration of the world for the rest of my life.
In this post, I am sharing all of the reasons why I believe travel should be a priority for all of us.
1. Create lifelong memories & great stories to tell
Travelling is one of the most effective ways to create lifelong memories that will be seared into your brain for life! The more intense the experience the more vivid and impactful the memories will be. So even when you create memories from travelling that are from challenging situations, these are the memories that will stick with you the most, create the best stories and give you lots of lessons and opportunities for growth.
The places that take our breath away, the out-of-the-ordinary experiences and the people we connect deeply with along the way leave very deep impressions in our memory.
One of the best benefits of travelling is having this memory bank of moments, feelings and experiences to reminisce on and share with others throughout your life. The experiences and stories you have while travelling will continue to reward you throughout your life, whether it is the sweetness of fond memories or being able to connect with others over shared experiences.
2. Experience a sense of personal fulfilment
Travelling offers us a sense of personal fulfilment like no other. When we travel we may get to see the places that we have literally dreamed of for our entire life, like seeing Christmas in New York or going to the Pyramids, seeing a Lion IRL or standing in the shadows of Mt Everest.
Let’s also not downplay the fulfilment we receive from visiting places that we’ve never even heard of that take us by full surprise! Many of the most incredible places I have visited, I had never even heard of before I went to the country they were in. A good example of this is Hampi in India.
The accomplishment of travelling to all of the new, diverse and incredible places (along with the memories) is a recipe for deep personal fulfilment that you can continue to tap into long after you get back home.
3. Travelling is good for your health
Now you may associate travelling to exotic places with overindulgence in local cuisine and alcohol, which isn’t overly healthy. But unless you are spending your entire vacation lounging around a pool at a resort in Fiji, travelling is good for you (even when you indulge!).
Travelling has had a positive impact on my physical and mental health, for sure. When I’m travelling full time and not working, I’m able to switch off from daily stressors and take my full days to rest, recharge or explore a new place.
All of the walking around cities, exploring new areas, swimming in the sea, hiking and being in nature is great for my physical health. Also being outside of a routine and on a mission to see things, I usually only eat when my body is actually starving (not out of boredom). This means I’m more active and eating when I need to for energy (and pleasure of course!).
All of the new people and experiences I encounter on the road also have a very positive impact on my mental health. My self-esteem grows, my confidence in myself expands and I feel more connected, open-hearted, content and just generally in awe of the world when I travel. This isn’t saying travelling doesn’t come with challenges, it certainly does! Especially if you are on an extended solo trip, but these challenges build our resilience and character and make the good times so much better!
4. Travelling shows us what it’s like to live in the present moment
“Be here now.”
This is one of my favourite quotes of all time from Ram Dass and travelling has enabled me to embody it many times.
Travelling has a magical ability to pull you instantly into the present moment (especially if you are trying to overcome an obstacle).
When travelling, we become totally preoccupied with the day in front of us, what we are doing, how we are going there, what we are seeing and doing that our worries about the past and future vanish.
Another beautiful benefit of this phenomenon of anchoring into the present moment is that time slows down. We can savour every second of the day, we can drag out the experience of the beautiful sunset or the city stroll.
This is one of the true gifts of travelling.
5. Travelling helps us to experience what freedom feels like
One of my most favourite things about travelling (especially when I’m travelling solo), is the sense of freedom it gives me. When we begin to live outside of the confines we put ourselves in with work, chores, bills, family obligations and just adult life in general, we can tap into a sense of freedom & liberation. Even if it only lasts a few days or weeks, it is one of the best feelings in the world.
I especially love going to places where I am completely anonymous. I can be whoever I want and do whatever I want and no one gives a shit. This feels very freeing to me.
Also, having days on end to do as you please, again especially if you’re a solo traveller, even if that means doing NOTHING but sitting in a cafe sipping on masala chai all day, is freedom to me.
Another interesting thing is, if you are from a country like New Zealand, Australia, Canada or the States, we have lots of rules and laws that keep the population under control. In other countries (that are perhaps less developed or more corrupt) these rules and regulations either aren’t there at all or aren’t enforced at all. This can give us a massive sense of freedom when visiting these countries compared to being at home. Not sure if this is a good thing, but it is a thing!
6. Travelling widens your worldview
And opens your mind. This is an incredibly valid reason for everyone to prioritise travel. Being able to experience different cultures, different climates, different nature, wildlife, living conditions and so on is very beneficial for everyone.
No matter where you come from, you have most likely predominately experienced only the culture you were born into
and have been conditioned to fit into that culture, those values and that way of life.
However, there are endless diverse cultures around the world, and if you only experience your own, you may have quite a narrow view of the world.
It’s not only fascinating to experience and learn about other cultures but it can also help you develop greater empathy, tolerance and an understanding of the differences between people.
Start to appreciate diversity, broaden your understanding of what life looks like and break down different stereotypes and misconceptions of different places and cultures.
At the end of the day, we are all human beings all bound by our ability to love.
Travelling can help put your life into perspective
Another beautiful benefit of travelling is that it can really show you firsthand how blessed you are to come from the country you call home. Maybe before you went travelling you took your home, friends, family, lifestyle and so on for granted.
You may find yourself coming home with a new sense of gratitude for where you call home and maybe even a burning desire to make efforts to help other parts of the world that aren’t so fortunate, when you see them for yourself firsthand.
8. When you travel, personal growth is inevitable
You know what they say ‘Life beings and the end of your comfort zone’. It’s cliche but it is so true! Just step outside of your comfort zone and you will see for yourself.
Travelling, especially solo, is one of the greatest ways to push the edges of your comfort zone. Navigating a new place, meeting new people, dealing with language barriers, and trying to figure everything out in a foreign place isn’t always easy. Doing new things that you’ve never done before (again especially alone) will inevitably expand your comfort zone and expand your tolerance for different experiences.
Travelling can help us become more confident, resilient, and patient and help give us the courage to really go after what we want in line.
By taking the risk of stepping on a plane and figuring out a new place you can achieve rapid expansion as an individual.
9. You get to know yourself on a deeper level
This is one of the most important reasons why travel should be a priority! When we travel, something interesting is revealed to us – ourselves. Travel has this incredible ability to show us who we truly are. When we are away from home, our family, friends and regular routines, we may realise we aren’t actually who we thought we were in the first place.
Once we realise this, we can begin the process of self-discovery and become more aware of who we are, what we like, what we don’t like and the types of people and places that resonate with our soul on a deeper level.
Travel can help us learn where our boundaries lie, show us new things and see what we actually vibe with without any of the conditioning or expectations placed on us at home.
When we travel, we can come back confident in who we are and what we truly want in life. What a gift!
10. Travelling helps you to build & nurture relationships
Just like travel should be a priority, so should your relationships. And they go together perfectly! Travelling is an incredible way to create new relationships and nurture existing relationships.
When you travel you connect with new people from around the world and form instant strong bonds that last a lifetime (and it’s a perk to have friends all over the world!).
If you are travelling with a loved one, a friend or a partner, you get to spend undivided quality time with them. Build a stronger bond and create new memories together.
If you have children you can help them form core memories and teach them about the diversity of the world from a young age.
Travelling can even help to strengthen your relationship with loved ones back home as you may become more conscious of wanting to stay connected and in touch than when you were in the same city. This has definitely happened to me!
11. Travelling is better when you’re young
Travel should be a priority when you are young and fit. Don’t wait until you’re retired to start ticking off your bucket list. When we get older, we become less physically able and energetic – yes there are things you can do to slow down this ageing process but it is a fact that backpacking around the world and going on big adventures will be more challenging the older you are.
Doing certain things like the Inca Trail or Mt Everest Base Camp may even be completely off the cards for you by the time you get around to doing it!
As we get older, we also tend to become more stuck in our ways (as a generalisation) and less adaptable to different environments and discomfort. Two things that always come with travel.
This means that travelling when we’re younger is a more pleasant experience and can also mean you’re likely to remain more adaptable as you age.
Don’t miss out on your best years of being able to explore the world in an intrepid and adventurous way while you are still able.
There are plenty of people who successfully traverse the globe into their twilight years and you should do that too but don’t miss out on seeing the world when you are physically in your prime.
Not to mention, there are no guarantees in life. You may not even make it to retirement, who knows! So if you want to travel, make it a priority to do it now while you still can.
12. You don’t have to be wealthy to travel
Our last reason travel should be a priority is that you don’t have to be rich to do it! This is a common misconception about travelling. Yes, it requires a significant investment of time and money, but you don’t need to be loaded to be able to do it.
Also travelling doesn’t have to mean visiting iconic (and pricey) destinations or galavanting off to the most far-off land you can think of – although these are two things I love to do!
You may be wondering how on earth am I supposed to travel multiple times a year. Especially if you have other big responsibilities such as kids and a mortgage. Certainly, at different times in our life, other expenses take priority over travel in our budget.
However, it often comes down to how badly you really want it.
If you want to make travel a priority and see the world is important to you, you can create a life that suits that.
People who travel a lot, aren’t necessarily wealthy, they have consciously chosen to make it a priority and maybe have compromised in other areas of their life.
For example, I work totally online remotely as a freelancer. It means I can take my work with me and do things like work in beach clubs in Italy! I also don’t have a house or apartment I’m paying rent on which gives me the financial flexibility to travel for extended periods of time.
This also comes back to travelling while you’re young and able. I’m taking advantage of this window in my life where I don’t need to have a home and stability, I don’t have a partner or children to be responsible for, so for now it is the perfect time to travel as much as possible before the time comes to put roots down.
When you commit yourself to a lifestyle of exploration and adventure, and you begin to see all of the permanent benefits of making travelling a priority it will be much easier for you to justify making time and money for travelling.
You can still invoke the essence of travel and adventure by going on small trips locally in your home country and even your home city. Search what travellers do in your neighbourhood and go for it! Book a night at a popular hostel nearby and take a weekend staycation or choose an affordable destination.
There are affordable countries across the globe & ways to make it work financially!
