Why should you travel young?

Done with School, College, Graduation and what next?

So all over these 20 years of preparation was just to get a secure job and start a family and SETTLE!

I am no exception, but here is my take after being part of the race. Most of us do not even have a specific goal to achieve and we just hop on the ride which all others are into or someone suggested us to follow.

I would like to urge all to travel young, as much as possible, as far as possible....

While you wonder about the 'why power' to travel young, or if you have a hundred reasons NOT to travel yet, here is a list of WHYs to really consider -

Because you are young and able -

Yes, that's a very good reason to travel young. There are many people who keep travel aspirations for the retirement. With increasing age, our body also becomes weaker, rendering us helpless in many locations. You don't want to reach a destination and decide whether your knee will hurt on climbing the mountain or whether your spine will be able to survive the long road journey. Moreover, we do not even know whether we would be at the best of our health or have to undergo some surgery in the future years.

The younger we are, the more we can indulge in various adventures, the more we can explore without the fear of hurting ourselves.

Facts: Do you also know that people as young as 21 years of age join the corporates today only to gain some extra pounds in the following years thus resulting into many non-communicable diseases. So travel before you join the herd of those desk dwellers (obviously I am one among them).

All lessons are not learnt in school -

We know that the best place after the home is the school, but you do not learn all life lessons in your school. Lets say they are there to score you a job i.e. the professional education but what about the lessons of life. The best lessons are learnt outside, above the mountains, in the ocean, under the open sky. And don't worry it will definitely give you a context of what you once read in your textbook like the history, geography and culture of the place.

Travelling will give you a broader vision, beyond your home/life, beyond your own city and thus letting you absorb more about the world and the people in various parts of the world.

Travelling makes you more independent -

Its only when we travel on our own to unknown destinations without family supervision, we take more responsibility and become more alert of our selves. We are more conscious and take independent decisions related to every small aspect of our lives which otherwise are taken care by someone else.

Travelling is a lesson to minimalism/essentialism -

Yes, when you start packing your own bags, you realize all that you possess is not as important as it mostly seems. With every travel, you know exactly how much you need to pack because there will be instances where you need to drag your bags around or you might be on a budget and you would want to keep it light. That is when you choose only the most essential belongings to travel with. Deep down you realize, not all that you own is essential, what is essential for your survival fits into your bag.

Such experiences will even give you a better perspective before attracting your self to the materialistic possessions like property,car and their hefty mortgages.

To keep the child in you alive -

We all are in a hurry to become the serious, responsible adult. In the process we lose the child within us, we miss to experience the little joys of life, the true happiness, the carefree self. When you travel, the excitement of experiencing new things or even observing the basics closely (which is otherwise missed in our fast paced routine) gives us an opportunity to re-live our childhood all over again.

For instance, I am always excited to catch the sunrise at a new destination, but the same sun rises every day in my own city where I am busy getting ready to plunge into the day that I usually miss the beautiful colours of the morning sky.

I remember, how she expressed the simple joy of gazing at the night sky to spot the moon, the stars, the constellation or the milky way had such an overwhelming experience that tears of joy rolled down my sister's cheeks on her solo trip to Meghalaya, the northeast state of India. You don't stare at the sky or dont even spot anything up there in the polluted city skies.

To discover your true calling -

Most young adults are usually confused about the life ahead. I have myself been through this phase and know how lost and confused it feels to just follow the herd or proceed blindly on an elderly advice. While all your well wishers would definitely give you best advice but it would be all about what they expect from you instead of what you expect from your life.

Travelling gives you the time to be by yourself, have deeper thoughts in the wilderness of the nature and you may come back from a destination with a much clearer vision of your future. There are many who sit at their computers all day just for the paycheck, as later in life they don't have the confidence of risking what they could have achieved at an younger age.

Because you are open to change -

Travelling is not luxury. Especially when you are travelling young, you do not have a lot of money to spend luxuriously, so travelling is getting out of your comfort zone. This is never really possible when you grow older and start earning more. With age, stability and higher income comes the longing for comfort.

As young travelers you are ready to travel in groups or solo, to offbeat location, trek to higher altitudes, camp around beautiful locations which are all experiences worth for a lifetime.

So, what's your reason for starting?

Find your Why, and hit the roads...

Whoever told you 'life is out there' was never wrong. Discover yourself!

Let me know about your why power!

Tags: #travelinspiration #joyoftravelling #seekinghappinessdiaries #Traveltips