5 Ways Traveling Makes Us Happier While Making the World a Better Place
Traveling has come to a screeching halt for over 10 months now. It’s not certain to know when it will return but when it does, I believe it will be busier than ever with people longing to see the world again. Traveling may seem like a luxury to many people, and yes, while it can be expensive and difficult to do while raising children or working a full-time job, it also brings a much deeper meaning into people’s lives and contributes to the world in ways you may not realize. Traveling feeds the soul. It introduces us to the unknown and educates us on different cultures making us more tolerable and understanding. I encourage everyone to continue to travel post-pandemic. Here are my thoughts on how traveling makes us happier and more fulfilled while making the world a better place:
1. Experiencing new cultures brings awareness to global issues and makes people more open-minded and tolerant.
I grew up in a small town in Alaska. Although it was a magical place to be raised, it was still an oil drilling, fur-wearing, God-fearing country bubble. We had a lot of diversity, but not enough to really see and understand big differences. We lived fairly harmoniously amongst each other with really very little turmoil (a blessing I realize as I look back now). it wasn’t until I started traveling the world at age 19 that I really understood how other people lived. When I moved to New York City I was exposed to an entirely different world. I started to have a lot of friends who were completely different from me. I began to understand different religions and cultures and why people felt so strongly on certain topics that directly affected their lives depending on where they live and how they were raised. I found it fascinating. During my years of living and traveling abroad, I started to open my mind and understand the varied and complicated histories behind the mindsets of different cultures. I began to further understand the deep scars of trauma in different ethnic groups and countries around the world. Now, nearly 17 years after leaving my Alaska bubble I will never understand racial intolerance or gender inequality, but I can understand how people who are not exposed to different cultures can be ignorant and therefore closed-minded. I think the only way we get to World Peace is by traveling and educating ourselves. We will never understand what someone is going through unless we are open enough to experience and ask questions in order to learn more. We need to travel to know that people exist in this world that are different from us. As long as we keep ourselves in a bubble we will never be able to learn and grow and one day, live amongst each other peacefully.
2. The beauty and diversity of nature around the world brings a sense of peace to our lives.
Have you ever sat and watched the sunset over the ocean from a beautiful island, or sunrise while on an early morning hike? Have you stopped to take in the majestic beauty that surrounds you in these moments? If you have then you can understand the peace I am referring to. Over the years that I have traveled around this world, I have visited the Greek Islands, climbed Mt. Fuji, sat on mountain tops in Africa, witnessed amazing waterfalls, and sailed the seas with the most beautiful view of fjords and landscapes. I have driven through valleys in Alaska completely awestruck by the beauty surrounding me. The varying landscapes across the globe are as different as the people that inhabit them, and if we only see our own, we will miss the diverse beauty that exists across other lands. The times that I feel most at peace are when I am in nature. For those of us that live in the city, finding this nature is much harder, but it is still possible. Most cities have parks that can serve as this getaway. There are still patches of Central Park you can find yourself completely alone and able to focus on the beauty that surrounds you.
3. Navigating new and unknown places makes you feel accomplished.
Many of us have found ourselves in a foreign country, navigating a map in a city we know nothing about, immersed in a culture that is completely different from our own, communicating with people that do not speak the same language as us. While it can be extremely frustrating and almost turn you off from traveling completely, it can also make you feel empowered and accomplished. Think about the times you have traveled to a different country knowing nothing of the language but by the time you leave you know a handful of words. Or a long day of sightseeing in a foreign country where you have to find your way all by yourself. Did you feel a sense of pride in your ability to adapt and adjust? Did it make you feel like you could do anything or go anywhere and be completely fine? This feeling of independence can be compared in my mind to when I have accomplished something important in life as simple as completing a successful project at work or taking a day to clean my entire house. I feel so proud of myself and proud of how much I have grown from that trip that I bring this feeling back into everything else I do. It boosts my self-esteem and confidence and makes me a happier person. Most important, it makes me want to travel again.
4. Traveling to new countries gives you a reason to learn a new language, which works your brain making you smarter while reducing your risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
It has been proven that learning new languages makes your brain multi-task in a unique way. It has also been proven that learning a new language helps older people prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s and Dementia and contributes to Brain Plasticity – the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, i.e. the brain’s ability to change and adapt over time. Knowing this, how could we not all want to try and learn a new language, or at least visit a new country where we are forced to navigate a foreign land. Not only is it fun but it’s helping your brains stay young and healthy too!
5. Travelling makes you feel young at heart.
We all know that giddy feeling we get while sitting on the airplane on your way to a new destination. We order a cocktail, kick up our feet and look forward to when we touch down in a new exciting place. There is a reason that children are so happy, they have not lost that curiosity that comes with exploring. Every day is new for them, they simply live in the moment and take in all that is around them. When you notice a small child playing with a new toy, you notice how they examine the toy, try and figure out what makes it work, and become curious about the toy. This same curiosity is what makes us excited every time we get on board a flight to a new destination. What will we see? What will we learn? Will we fall in love? Traveling the world makes us feel young at heart because we are excited to explore the unknown like we once did in childhood. It strengthens bonds between loved ones and ensures lasting memories worth far more than any object money can buy.
These are just 5 ways (there are many more) to feel more fulfilled and happy simply by saving up money and getting out there to explore the world. I know that people will often say traveling is expensive, and yes it can be, but now travel has become so much more accessible and affordable. Airbnb and search engines like Kayak.com or booking.com are making hotel rooms and airline flights cheaper than ever before. The travel industry is waiting for the return of travel and making it even easier to do so. Do yourself and this world a favor, when we have all emerged from this pandemic, book yourself a flight, or even just hop in your car and go somewhere with a loved one, even if just for the weekend. Get out there and see new places and meet new people. Have a conversation with someone completely different from you. I can promise you will be happy you did and you will be helping to make the world a better place.
Photo Credit - Dariusz Sankowski @dariuszsankowski