How Traveling Changes your Life
- Jul 2, 2018
- 5 min read
Why travel?
Usually, when we say travel, it means to go somewhere that is unfamiliar to you. Traveling can mean going to a tourist destination like NYC, backpacking into somewhere remote in Asia, or even just relaxing on a beach in Maldives taking in the summer heat. Wherever it may be, we have our reasons as to why we travel. For a travel enthusiast like me, I enjoy it because the most significant life lessons come from experiencing new things and being in a new environment. But what does traveling actually teaches us?
Beyond the Instagram-worthy-shots
Traveling seems to be catching more attention than ever and is indeed becoming a new trend. Family, friends, and even ourselves are too busy updating our social media profiles with the freshest and picturesque Instagram-worthy shots. Sure, you get a few likes here and there as you stand by the Eiffel Tower. You’ll even be the centre of attention during gatherings as you tell (even brag) about the famous historical places like Rome, right? Some would argue that it ’s just a waste of money or even time that should be allocated into work. But here are my reasons as to how traveling changes your life.
How Travelling Changes your Life
1. Pushes you out of your comfort zone
Immersing yourself in a new environment may mean that everything around you wouldn’t be as familiar as with back home. You may have to speak a new language because the locals may not simply understand English. You may be forced to try out a scary, yet fascinating,way of commuting because it’s the only form of transportation. Even pushed to eat exotic but safe foods as part of their culture. Bursting your bubble may seem frightening but it changes your life as you experience and learn new things. This is the beauty of saying yes to new life opportunities. If you won't say yes to experiences then you miss a chance to expand your horizon. So please, give yourself a chance to grow- for the better. Get out of your comfort zone and say yes to travel.
2. Makes you more creative
The world is full of ideas as inspiration can come in any form and from any direction. When you travel, you tend to explore and observe the places, food, people, and their way of life. As a business graduate, I’ve always been fascinated on how various people find ways to make money. It helped me to be more mindful and open to ingenious ways that might help me in the future as a business owner. I might even be inspired enough to showcase different countries along with their cultures in a local building- for others to experience it without paying a lot (sounds like a great business idea!). Traveling undoubtedly results in significant changes in your life as it will mould you into a better you.
3. Gain New Perspective
We’ve all been there judging something, or someone, from the facts that we usually get from watching TV or reading articles. I get it! It is understandable that we form opinions from the only resources we have. Yet, it is totally different when we experience it ourselves. For instance, when my mother booked us a trip to Pattaya Thailand, we did our research about the places and people. Unfortunately, my sister and I saw a number of videos about being scammed and tricked by the locals. So when we arrived in Thailand, we shared feelings of apprehension as we were cautious not to get ripped off. In contrast, we met such lovely people who were indeed helpful without wanting anything in return. Instead of thinking the worst of them, I learned to appreciate how hard working, creative, and full of joy these people were. I learned to always give the benefit of the doubt to a place, person or even exotic food (like eating fried Scorpion-talk about stepping out of your comfort zone!). Whether we spend two weeks or two years traveling, it will change your life as you gain perspective of new things.
4. Never take things for granted
One of the challenges that we face when traveling to a different country would be the language barrier. When we went to Spain, Portugal, and especially Thailand, there seems to be a lot of miscommunication because the majority couldn't speak English. Right there and then, I cultivated a sense of gratitude towards my fellow Filipino locals. As a Filipino, we were taught English at home, schools and further into universities. I have seen it a million times, where a Filipino local would be confident enough to talk to a foreigner. Sometimes stuttering but laughing in the middle of it. But being in another country made me realized how I took this for granted. Let's face it, it is a whole lot easier than resorting to sign languages or completely ignoring tourists when they ask for directions. Sometimes, we don’t see realisations like this coming at you, but you will when traveling. This is why I wholeheartedly believe that traveling changes your life.
5. Know yourself better
As I’ve mentioned in my first point, traveling pushes you out of your comfort zone. When that happens, you will surely classify that experience as something good or bad. This is where knowing yourself better comes into play. You may like the wide pathways of Las Ramblas in Spain, or you're like me that isn't fond of them because of having short legs that tire easily :( . You may not like eating Durian in Thailand, but if you're an exotic foodie like me then you will love it! This is why we should get out of our comfort zone, and be surprised by the good things that can come out of memorable travels. Traveling may not always pan out as planned but we get to see our limits and our natural reaction to things unexpected. Thus, we are able to learn who we are as a person and can even improve on such shortcomings.
As for me, it sparked an interest I never knew I had. I was amazed to know that Thailand also uses bamboos and coconuts as props when dancing. Similarity can be found with our traditional dance of Tinikling and Maglalatik. Later on, I watched a mountain pile of videos of different traditions and tribes all over the world, which I still do till this very day. Traveling changed my life in ways I never thought it would.
Say hello to traveling
I am forever looking forward to gaining more experiences and learning beyond those Instagram-worthy shots. Here’s to being thankful that I’m working as a freelancer, a work at home mother, who’s able to work my schedule around to give time to my ultimate passion. If you want to give traveling a go, let me help you as a business management associate or virtual assistant. Who will assist in making your business successful while you’re about to take your time as you travel and change your life for the better (or just want to hire someone that’s profoundly changed by traveling)- feel free to contact me.
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