Everyone says they either love to travel or want to travel. But how many of those people actually get to travel and experience the world for themselves? As someone in their early 20’s, traveling seems to be the only thing I can think about, but of course being an adult and getting a job is the responsible thing to do. Or is it?
*These are some of the reasons I’ve been told not to travel
1. You shouldn’t travel because it’s expensive
Traveling can be expensive if you want to stay in a nice hotel and have the same amenities that you have at home. As someone who has stayed in hostels before, they might not always be the nicest places to stay, but they are the cheapest. Plus, you meet a plethora of people of various ages who have a love for traveling like you. Listening to their stories of where they’ve been and where they are going next never gets old.
2. You shouldn’t travel because you’ll have the rest of your life to travel
Sure, it’s the classic “Get a job. Save up money. Travel later.” As someone who is about to graduate, job searching is important, but so is traveling. Jobs will always be around, but traveling while you’re young won’t be. People want to tell me that traveling is a waste of time, and I will always have time when I’m older to take off of work. But that is when life gets in the way. There’s so much to learn while you’re traveling, more so than sitting behind a desk at a job you only applied to because everyone else had a job after college. Traveling is the ultimate life lesson.
3. You shouldn’t travel alone
I couldn’t tell you the number of times I have just thought about hopping on a plane and traveling someplace. The “wanderlust” feeling is pretty real. But, if you try and wait for friends to travel the world with you, you could be waiting a while. Of course, you would have to use common sense if you’re traveling alone, but it’s not impossible. There are even tour groups organized by various companies so you wouldn’t have to travel alone.
4. You shouldn’t travel because you can learn anything online these days
Sure, you can probably learn about the Ochre Pits in the outback of Australia, but how many people can say that they’ve visited them? Or what about the various species of plants and animals in Costa Rica? I can say that I have. Actually looking at them first hand is hard to do when you’re looking at a computer screen. It’s the little experiences like that that make traveling worth it. Looking at different cultures and just the way of life was very interesting to me. I think by experiencing different countries’ cultures and way of life made me appreciate everything I have and that is something you can’t get from a computer.
5. You shouldn’t travel because it will leave a gap in your resume
Sure, everyone wants to get a job after college, but most companies would like employees who understand the workings of the world. While people are at a job that they don’t like, if you’re traveling you’re immersing yourself into that country. And by doing that, it’s easier for you to learn a language. That way, when you come back and apply for jobs, you can say that you know a language that you didn’t know when you graduated. I think traveling will help you because you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge and perspective of the world that you wouldn’t get from sitting in an office.
Traveling isn’t for everyone, but for me it’s something that I want to do. I encourage everyone to go travel at least once. Of course, I would love to go back to the countries I’ve been to, but there is literally the world out there to see.
