They say that variety is the spice of life, and that includes travel. While you may live in the most fantastic place on earth, there is a whole world out there meant for you to experience, and so it is imperative that you get out and enjoy the globe, even if it means that you travel to different parts of your own nation each year.
You may have doubts about this, so here are eight reasons you should travel outside your country 1 to 2 times a year.
It Will Open Your Eyes
The truth is, many of us build a very narrow view of what the world is really like. Even if you have done some rather extensive traveling in your own country, you are still likely to have a very narrow view of how different cultures are, how people relate to one another, and how different laws work. By getting out and seeing different nations, you not only gain a better understanding of other people, but you are likely to gain a better appreciation of them as well. Those people you see on the news in El Salvador, France, or Kenya become significantly different to you when you actually get to meet them in person.
It Teaches You About You
If you ever really wanted to know who you are as a person, learn what that looks like when people are seeing you who are from another nation. You are going to find out a whole lot about your personal biases and stereotypes while you travel, really shining a bright light on who you are as a person. This may make you feel like you really are more in touch with others than you think, but most people find it reveals a whole lot of stereotypes they have developed that they can’t believe a part of their belief system.
Improves Language Skills
If you are a person who has studied other languages, what better more practical use can you have been to actually be able to put it into practice. If you have learnt Spanish, there are no less than 50 different countries across the globe that you can go to where the vast majority of people who live there speak Spanish. Take advantage of that. You can do this with French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, and any other language you can find. Don’t just make your learning academic.
Be an Adventurer and Historian
By traveling to other countries you get to learn the benefits and the history of those nations. You become an adventurer, learning how they developed, what are the significant historical events, and actually getting to physically visit touch places that you may have only read about in books. Imagine standing at the Great Wall of China, walking through the Coliseum, or standing before a Mayan temple. You will be amazed at how this will make history come to life for you.
It Makes You Appreciate What You Have
The truth is, if you are from the United States you have it better than anywhere else on the globe. That is not an insult to any other country, it’s just reality. Nothing will help you to appreciate that more than my traveling to other places across the globe. It will really give you a new perspective on how good you have it, making it so that you really appreciate what you do have.
It Helps You Get Out
One of the biggest problems that many people have that they are too sedentary in their own life. They sit around on the couch, believing that running their feet across the foot roller is exercise enough for them each day. If this sounds like you, then you need to get out and see the world. Walk the streets of London, make your way up the steps of the Taj Mahal, row down the Amazon River. Get out and become active while you enjoy the world at its best.
Can Just Make You Feel Better
Too many of us are depressed about our lives. We don’t like our jobs, our family is getting on our nerves, or we are just depressed about things not getting better. Going to another country will make you feel so much brighter. You meet fantastic people, see amazing sites, and purchase souvenirs that will give you memories to last a lifetime. It will definitely brighten your spirits, and this is another reason why you need to travel 1 to 2 times a year.