Traveling widens one's worldview
The biggest obstacles people face regarding traveling is money and stepping out of their comfort zone. The financial excuse is reasonable, but stepping out of your comfort zone is all about your mindset.
If you have the opportunity and the money, the greatest investment you can make that will last a lifetime is traveling. I’ve only been to two continents but I already feel as though I’ve learned more than I thought was possible, wait till I see the other four (no, I’m not going to go to Antarctica). Moving to the United States was a cultural shock but that’s the beauty of learning and immersing yourself into a new environment. It’s a new language, new norms, new food, it’s a new culture! Even in the United States alone, different regions do different things. A big reason why people stay in the States is because everything is here. All seasons, all sorts of environments, forests, beaches, mountains, etc. But you will never regret leaving and putting yourself out there in foreign land. The hardest bit of it all is letting yourself have an open mind, letting yourself put in the effort to learn a new language, letting yourself meet new people and make life-long friendships.
My church allows me to travel and meet people of the same faith as me from all six continents. International conventions are always a great source for me to find people who share similar beliefs as me and explore the country together. I’ve made friends from Poland, France, Ukraine, Romania, Italy, Austria, Australia, Myanmar, Uganda, Brazil, and many other countries that will not fit in this lengthy list. Although we all speak different languages, we come from opposite directions, we have different cultures, we come together in one place and put in effort to learn and speak a language that we can all understand. The beauty of it all is that English is not our first language and yet it is the one we use to communicate. For the ones who have English as their first language, you’ve got a great shortcut to your advantage! English is so universal that most young people in most countries will speak it. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to learn a second language but it gives you a head start to having an easier experience while abroad.
Music, food, and laughter bring people together no matter where they are. Not only will you have the greatest adventure while traveling, not only will you make the greatest friends, but you will also learn empathy, history, communication, cultural awareness, and confidence. The experience of it all, all of the ups and downs will not leave you disappointed. Personally, I was left in awe. It’s so beautiful to see people coming together and no matter how different they can be, they can find things to share regardless. This is the greatest experience of my life that I will not forget nor regret. I countdown every day until the next trip awaits.