6 Reasons I Travel and Why You Should, Too

"Not all who Wander are lost." JRR Tolkien 

Travel is imperative to expanding one's perspective.  Leaving comfort zones to sleep in unfamiliar places,  eat foods foreign to our tastes and know how others live does more than make us resilient and adaptable. It makes us whole.  These are the moments we choose to replay in our minds after the vacation is over.  Adventures bring us closer together or as traveling individuals,  allow our souls to breathe.  There are so many profound reasons to travel. Here are My top 6. 

1. To meet new people

"Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many People. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys.  Try everything.  Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life."   -Lawrence K. Fish 

Everyone You meet has a story. Hearing other people's stories brings us closer as a human race.  People really do want the same things,  good health, comfort and a space to grow as an individual.  Everyone goes through similar life cycles, some have children,  some adults have grown children and now care for elderly parents, others are great grandparents.  Getting out of familiar places and sharing stories allows each of us to feel closer to those who live in far away places and know our similarities.  

2. To be more resilient 

"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends,  your daily routines,  your refrigerator full of food,  your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away,  you are forced into direct experience.  Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience.  That's not always comfortable,  but it is invigorating."  -Michael Crichton

Travel can be uncomfortable,  yes. Any trip out of Your comfort zone is scary.  Some refuse to travel for fear of the unknown, but discomfort can be a beautiful thing.  Through travel, we learn to expect the unexpected in delightful ways.  Getting sidetracked and stuck may seem dreadful in the day to day grindstone,  but when traveling,  time feels different.  Experiencing the unexpected teaches us faith that we are always where we need to be and so we learn to adapt.  It's vacation,  after all! Where do You need to be in such a hurry? 

3. To Learn Tolerance and Achieve Understanding

"It's important that we share our experiences with other people.  Your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.  When you tell your story,  you give yourself and give other people permission to acknowledge their own story."  -Iyanla Vanzant 

Every single human being in the World has basic needs,  shelter,  water,  food.  Traveling allows us to learn how others mitigate these needs.  In the jungle,  people often get their food from the fruit bearing trees and do not understand grocery stores.  On the beach,  the food comes from the sea and is present in every meal.  Immersing Yourself in other cultures expands your perspective in immersive and multidimensional ways.  

4. Adventure

"Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures."  -Lovelle Drachman

Hike, Swim in the Ocean, Climb a Mountain, Sail a Ship! Who doesn't love adventure? Through exploration We conquer our fears, set goals and achieve them, raise our heart rates in a good way and let genuine smiles radiate from the inside out. The feeling anything can be achieved comes back wth us to daily life after the trip.  Those who adventure,  take more risks and reap the benefits in their day to day lives.  Those who don't feel stagnated and marginalized. 

5. To Feel More Human

"The greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience every day things as if for the first time."  -Bill Bryson 

Traveling puts us in situations where We understand the Human Experience.  We appreciate the journey more and are able to have gratitude for what's really important in life.  Experiencing many cultures allows You to be more comfortable with Yourself. The World feels less chaotic knowing everyone in it has the same passions,  desires and billions of ways to express them.  Bringing home pieces of culture keeps a sense of wonder about a place long after You are gone.   

6. To Get in Touch with the Divine 

"I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the World." -Mary Anne Radmacher

Travel creates a spiritual restlessness.  It's the feeling inciting us to rise early to see the sunrise in a far away place and go to bed late to watch the same night sky as the locals.  These private moments of gratitude have bring us closer to our divine spiritual divine.   

"Your heart is the size of an Ocean. Go find Yourself in its hidden depths." Rumi

It's easier than you think to plan a trip.  Start a Bucket list and make a plan.  I'll be posting an entire series on ways to plan tangible trips You can take soon.  Stay tuned! 

The Grand Adventures of the Blonde Brunette is a collection of my travels published with the intent to help others enjoy traveling comfortably, creating lifelong memories out of enriching cultural experiences.  The World is My Playground.