Why Travel Should Be A Priority
Travel is a huge part of my life. I first went abroad at the age of just 6 months and have been to 35 countries in the last 24 years. I’ve made travel a priority in my life and my life is all the richer and more colourful for it. I think there are many reasons why travel should be a priority for everyone.
Think about how much money you spend on buying coffee from Starbucks or Costa or wherever. Think about how many pairs of shoes you have that you don’t wear. Think about how many items of clothing you have that haven’t seen the light of day in forever. Why are all these things a priority?
I recently realised I had far too many possessions and that very few of them were actually making me happy (I wrote about it here). One thing that truly does make me happy is travelling to new places, exploring new cultures and expanding my mind.
Travel contributes far more to my life than having endless pairs of shoes ever could. Through travel I’ve learned to be more confident than I ever thought I could be, solo travel especially. If you’re travelling alone you don’t have anyone to rely on to sort out potential problems on the road and it forces you to think, speak and act with much more confidence than you otherwise would.
Being exposed to other cultures, languages and religions also helps to expand your mind and make you more aware of what’s going on in the world around you. I find that if you don’t travel then often you get so wrapped up in the small bubble that you live within that you forget the wider issues around you.
Travel forces you to confront these issues and opens your eyes to the differences between your life and the lives of other people in other countries. It teaches you about different races, cultures, ways of living, jobs, poverty and so on. Travel has undoubtedly taught me humility as travelling to India especially made me see just how lucky I am to live in complete comfort here in Scotland.
We might love to moan about the rubbish weather, government and anything else living in the UK but really we are incredibly lucky to live in such a place. We have roofs over our heads, food on our plates, a stable government and an altogether great place to live. In India I was confronted by people living in tiny makeshift huts, wearing rags, begging on the streets and defecating everywhere and anywhere. It certainly made me appreciate my life all the more.
Travel also reminds me to have fun. It’s so easy to get caught up in a routine and the monotony of earning a living, paying your bills and looking after your home and family that you can sometimes forget life is supposed to be about living and enjoying yourself. By removing yourself from your normal home life and routine you’re often reminded to relax, have fun and try things that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do.
Is travel a priority in your life? Do you agree that travel can enrich your life?
I’m Emma, a twenty-something Scottish girl who’s obsessed with travel.
I’ve been to 38 countries so far and had some incredible adventures around the world.
My passion for travel and writing led me to create my person blog Emma’s Travel Tales.