I guess I am here to tell you why you should travel. I am also here to tell you what I’ve learned through travel. Travel is fun, yes, but it is also more than that. Travel is the best way to read the pages of the world. There is so much to see in the world and it is so exciting to touch down in a place you’ve never been, knowing you are about to explore places you’ve never seen.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”- Saint Augustine
I think Saint Augustine summarized it best. As a reader and a traveler, this is my FAVORITE quote. You can learn in school and by reading. However, you can learn SO MUCH MORE by traveling. Traveling is good for the soul. Here is why 👉🏼
Why jump into the pages of the world?
You can see on a map that the world is large. However, you can NOT understand the vastness of the world until you step into another city and see that there are hundreds of thousands of people living their daily lives in another city thousands of miles away from you.
You can learn the history of a place in books and school, but you can grasp the effects and emotions of history SO MUCH better when you tour a city with a local.
You can think you know a place well, but you’ll never fully know until you physically jump into the pages of the culture and lifestyle of a place.
What I've learned by jumping into the pages
Wow. There are so many lessons learned. I won’t bore you with them all. Here are a few that stand out in my mind:
1) I've learned that I have created some preconceived notions
- Have you ever heard anyone say “I would never go to “so and so” because I’ve heard it is dangerous, or “I saw someone was robbed at gunpoint there; I can’t believe you are going!” or “Isn’t Amsterdam for weed smokers who want to see what prostitution is about?” Most preconceived notions are based upon hearsay and what the media chooses to light up in the headlines. I have appreciated the opportunity to put myself in the cultures of some of these countries to see for myself. Are some things correct? Sure. Are some of them very false. Also, sure.
2) I've learned when you constantly hang out with people who live, think and prioritize like you, you don't learn much.
- You just keep reiterating what you believe to be the truth. You want to learn and grow? I believe you have to submerse yourself in places that take you out of your comfort zone a little bit and make you think just a tad. It’s okay to create your own opinion that is based on a jumble of experiences (good and bad) that only you have had.
3) I've learned that your career doesn't make you who you are.
- Do I respect hard work, striving for excellence and people who achieve everything they want to achieve? Heck yea! But do you know how many people I have met overseas that have asked what I do for a living? Like zero. No one really cares. I enjoy being a physical therapist and will continue to work as one, but it is not what makes me “me” and I don’t think what you do makes you “you.”
4) I've learned that there are two sides to every story.
- Did I learn a lot in history class? Yes. But most of what I learned was from our viewpoint. Is it cool to take a tour of a city and learn about their viewpoint on events that we also lived through or learned about? Absolutely. Even with current events. What is reported here can be vastly different from what is reported in the country that it happens in.
5) I've learned you can't always get free water 🙃
- Maybe the toughest lesson to learn of them all 😂 Also don’t forget to order still water instead of sparkling and be sure you won’t be on the toilet for days if you drink the tap water.
How many pages of the world have you read?
I understand there are reasons for not traveling. It takes money and time. However, I truly believe, even if you travel domestically, that you learn so much from taking a break from your routine, daily life and jumping into a place where the wheels roll the same but the cogs are a little different.
I’ve learned a lot by trying my best to read the pages of the world; these are just a few of them. What are some things you’ve learned from travel?
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