I’ve spent so much energy explaining why we travel without thinking about you and why you should be out there. Maybe you’ve started by visiting the next city or neighborhood and you want more. There’s something holding you back, and you can’t get started. What is it? What’s stopping you? Barriers are a part of life but especially when thinking about traveling for the first time.
Why You Should Travel
Travel to Get Out
Of course, you can see every city in the world thanks to countless TV shows, magazines, and blogs (including this one!). The travel gods have sanctified the past that we now find ourselves on, but there’s always something new to find. We each have our own unique perspectives on this planet, especially when traveling. You’re going to run into a lot of roadblocks along the way and thinking outside your media box is the first of them. Use the ideas presented as a plan of action for your next destination.
From there, the next thing to do is to simple—get out! Right? It sounds easy enough, but you wouldn’t believe how difficult that first step outside becomes. Travel is much easier these days but when digging in and going for it, you’ll be surprised. It’s harder than you might think. Don’t worry though as there are tons of resources out there to help you stop wanderlusting, and start traveling.
Overcoming Fear and Looking Back
Is it the fear of looking back on life left behind? When you see the progress made trepidation will turn to excitement and pride. You’ll realize that home and the people around it are the same while your own world has changed. When mentioning some of my favorite places visited, there’s the grumbling.
“It’s dirty. Don’t go there. Too dangerous.”
Some people will always have a reason why travel is a bad idea—fear—whether it’s one city away or across a vast sea to an unfamiliar land. Let them deal with their own insecurities, and allow yourself to forge an unknown, yet promising, path. That fear will always be there trying to prove you wrong. Challenging and conquering it proves why we should all be out there, to overcome a nagging fear holds us back.
The Memories and Random Meetings
The most fulfilling find you’ll make is those people who touch you along the way, and at the most unexpected times as well. You’ll meet some of the most wonderful folks while traveling. Don’t you want to go out there and be with them? There are special people all over this world ready to cross paths and create memories with you.
Walking down a somewhat empty or dark path until all of a sudden someone will come into view and change your outlook. I know, because it’s happened to me. My life will never be the same thanks to those wonderful people and moments spent together. Don’t you want that? Aren’t you ready to have your own random meeting fill your bowl with happiness? Is something still holding you back?
The Money! Convince Yourself
Oh right, the money. At the end of the day, the money has to be there. But what would you say if there were ways to travel for free? Believe it or not, you can even travel without worrying about that job or house back home. You can travel and work at the same time. Every week there’s a story about a person who quit their job to travel.
I know that deciding to travel can become tough, especially if you have no money. There are ways to save and build up enough funds to support your dreams. If you’ve never traveled you might be unhappy with your current situation, feeling stuck and needing a way out. You know that just seeing a new place would help, and saving for it will get you started. It will take time, but all great things come to those who spend their time building a travel fund, right? Isn’t that how the old saying goes?
This is Why
Travel is not just about going to another country or continent. It can be going to a new neighborhood in your city, and just taking in some new sights. There will always be someone or something new that will show you about the wonders of travel. Don’t you want to enjoy them for yourself in your own way? Don’t you want to get out there? You know the barriers will be there, but overcome them and you’ll find the happiness that comes with time abroad or away. You’ll have a treasure trove full of memories and random meetings to look back on.
This is why you should travel.
Do you think we should all be out there traveling?
Hey Duke,
Wanted to stop by and check out your blog. I definitely can tell what your love is.
I don’t travel a whole lot but I have. Not all over the world but so far I’ve been to Hawaii twice, Bahamas three times, Alaska, Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Mexico, Caymen Islands and all over the United States. I use to travel every few years just as a nice vacation but I am not someone who wants to do it all the time. I’m a homebody and I love being at home plus I have a dog and I hate leaving her. I also now care for my Mom who just turned 90 although she is living independently still but does need care.
I think traveling is a great way though to explore new places, see new things, meet interesting people and just tour someplace new. My next big destination is Australia so I’ll be planning that trip next.
I applaud you for following your dream and anyone else who would love to do the same. Thanks for sharing this with us.
~Adrienne
Hey Adrienne,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this. You say you don’t travel too much but with the names you just dropped (Bahamas, Australia coming up, etc.), I’d have to respectfully disagree:) I feel like you’re pretty well traveled and would love to sit down and have a coffee with you, just to hear about your stories.
I feel pretty bad that I’ve not seen enough of my country (the U.S.) and am going to come back and really grab it by the horns upon arrival. It’s so overwhelming to think of the U.S., considering I’ve been living in such a comparably tiny place.
I do understand you having to take care of your mother, as my parents are also getting older and needing some help. So in lieu of that coffee, I’ll just have to keep coming back to your blog and chatting that way. I appreciate your stopping by and saying hey, Adrienne. Hope you’ll come back for more!
Take Care.
I’ve been planning on taking some time off soon from work to do some traveling and just get out of the routine Ive been in sometime in the the next month or so.
Hey Dave, I hope you get to do that. It’ll be awesome!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment:)
Some people may think it’s hard but you can even travel within your own area. It’s all about the experience because different people will have different experiences and perspectives even if it’s just somewhere nearby. Good one! 🙂
Thank you so much, Sha! I hope this resonated with you and based on your comments, it certainly looks like you took something away. Cheers!
I love posts like these ones. I always find it so interesting to read the reasons behind why people travel… Although I think most of us wayward souls have a lot of reasons in common, there’s always a little bit that’s different and I realize… HEY, that’s why I travel too and I didn’t even know it. I definitely fear the lack of money thing sometimes, but I really believe the less I have the less I have to lose. Great post!
Thank you Meaghan! I think there’s a lot to be said behind the people who travel. You’re totally right about not needing money at the end of it all. The less you have is certainly the less you can lose. Totally agree with that!
Thanks for commenting:)
Great stuff! I like how you point out that travel doesn’t always have to be some grand, world-traversing adventure. For some people, that’s just never going to happen (my mom, for one). But traveling can be the smallest journey, the benefits can come form the smallest breach of a comfort zone. What could have been merely a call to “do what I’m doing because it’s awesome!” was made both inspiring and very easy to relate to by that addition 🙂
Love this post, and I’m looking forward to future ones in the same vein.
Hey Nathan! Thanks so much for your comment! I agree with you about there being some people who’ll never get out there. My father being one of them, but I truly think there are some people who just need a kickstart.
I came from a place where it’s easy to fall into a rut and just do nothing during your lifetime. Getting out and seeing new things has felt like a big accomplishment for me.
Anyway, thank you for commenting. I hope you enjoyed reading;) I’ll be coming out with more like this in the near future!
Good points! I think people forget that travel doesn’t just mean going abroad but also exploring tiny areas of your own city or country. I feel like money is the biggest factor for stopping people from travelling. People often don’t realise that it is very possible to work and travel or save up and travel for pretty cheap!
Thank you Rafiqua. I hope you enjoyed reading this and yeah, it seems like the money is the biggest trump card even after most people have convinced themselves to travel. Has it ever been a factor for you? For me, Australia is an example of a place too expensive to reach right now. Though I could save for it easy, like you:)
Thank you for taking that part out of this. I think that’s the trump card at the end of the day. So many people convince themselves until they realize there’s a pricetag attached to it all. With a little work and research, I think that can be minimized.
Thanks for commenting. It’s good to hear from you again!
It’s easier for us as a family to go around now since our boys are bigger (8 and 5). It was a challenge when they were babies. Especially when I was a first-time Mom. Whaaa! Now they carry their own luggage:-)… So yeah, aside from money, having kids is a consideration for not moving around…. Believe me, even going to restaurants was a challenge!
Lol, I can’t imagine that challenge:)
Thanks for sharing it. I didn’t think that far ahead and probably will in the next few years. I hope you enjoyed reading:)
Great post! Travel is definitely something that I feel is so important for our souls and minds. Growing up as an American, it isn’t really a popular concept to take a gap year or a year off prior to college, so I didn’t fully understand “wanderlust” until later than I would have liked, which is after I studied abroad in Peru my sophomore year of college. That experience affected me so strongly and really made a turn for the better. It’s such an essential aspect to understanding humankind and the world as a whole and I strongly encourage everyone I know to take the leap and buy the ticket if they’re able. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, that was a wonderful way to respond to this. I hadn’t written of it as so important for us on the inside and out, but I share your sentiments:) I bet living in Peru was a dream. I also studied abroad, but in Japan. It’d be great to share experiences sometime. I wonder if you had trouble adjusting at any point.
While I do see a great deal of value and importance in traveling (especially while young and still learning about the human condition),there are a lot of people that find great solace and happiness in staying in one place accomplishing whatever they are working on. While so few of us in the online travel blogging community need a lot of convincing in the ‘get out there’ departments, this post does a great job of explaining reasons why someone undecided on residency vs. vagrancy should at least give exploration a shot. It’s not for everyone, but travel should certainly be ruled out before abandoned. Great tips and encouragement!
What got my attention the most in this post is “the money” part, haha. I’m the type of person who shies away from things that tend to cost a lot (unless I really really want it) and so while reading your post I automatically assumed that your version of “travel” also meant trips abroad, etc. But you’re right—traveling doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out of the country. It can be something as simple as going around the neighborhood and discovering the new little shop down the block, which is more or less what I’ve been doing nowadays. There’s a joy in discovering these little places without necessarily needing to burning a hole through your pocket 🙂 But that doesn’t mean we’re not saving up to travel outside the country in the future 😉
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jackie! I really appreciate your comments here. I’m happy you agree with my thoughts that travel is not just about going to another country.
Do you have any specific plans for travel? I’d love to hear about them and can’t wait to read them at your awesome blog!
Thanks! I’m glad you liked my comment! 🙂 I’m probably not going anywhere far anytime soon, I actually just gave birth less than two weeks ago and am now in the recovery process. Haha but I’m already planning on places to go to with my kids in the city once I’m fully recovered! Thanks for the encouraging words! 😀
Indeed. Travel does help us overcome fear. There’s nothing like a new situation and place to test our mettle with. I also appreciate too how you’ve pointed out travel not always need be very far from home. Being a tourist to local sites often brings equal rewards.
I do think that travel doesn’t involve leaving your country. Maybe that’s part of what sets people back before leaving their own house. There are too many bloggers/travelers raving about wonderful, exotic locations that we get stuck.
Thanks for commenting. Feel free to share with your friends who need a jumpstart:)
Nicely written and if others still feel no desire to travel, well it’s their lose. I believe some people simple have no desire to see anything beyond what they are familiar with, which is so sad. Such a big world and so much fun exploring it! Thanks for the link to the articles. Interesting and educational read. I wish I had traveled more when I was younger, but at least I’m able to do it now.
Thank you Charisse. I understand what you’re saying about the lack of desire and sometimes, it makes me step back and think. Not everyone will listen to those of us who love this life where we jump around from place to place. I also wish I’d utilized my younger years and traveled more. Thankfully we’re both able to do it now, huh? Got any place in mind upcoming?
YES!! Great great post! I’m always trying to think of ways to inspire my friends and family to ‘just do it’! It is never super-easy getting started, but always worth it in the end. I particularly appreciated your section on The Fear as it definitely was an issue for me and certainly is for many many people I know. Can’t wait to share your post and hopefully it will light a fire under some arses!
Wow! Thank you so much Lindsay! Please, share it on. I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts. You’re right, maybe this can light a fire! Cheers.