For whatever reason you clicked on this article. Maybe the idea of traveling scares you. Maybe it excites you. Maybe it does a bit of both. Studying abroad was one of the scariest and most rewarding things I have ever done, but spending three months in France and traveling elsewhere has opened my mind up to whole new worlds. So why should you travel?
1. You get to see amazing sights that you never thought you would see
I had been learning about the Eiffel Tower for 9+ years of my life, I had seen in on accessories, clothing, in pictures, etc., but it wasn't until this year that I finally go to see it in person. The immensity of emotions you get from standing in front of something you had only seen in pictures is incredible.
2. You develop an appreciate for nature and beauty
You start to look around you for the natural beauties. You stop walking around with your head in your phone and you look at the world around you as you pass by. And most importantly you learn to appreciate sunsets - a beauty you can observe from wherever you are.
3. You start to understand the inter connectivity of the world
You step off the plane for the first time and look into the sky for the first time and you realize that sky is the same sky you see every day. You go to the ocean halfway across the world and realize that you are standing at the opposite end of the same ocean you visit in the US - how crazy is that?
4. You realize just how small the world is
At first you feel totally lost in an immense sea of other cultures and languages, but then you meet that person. The Australian man staying in the same youth hostel as you, who has a brother who lives in the town over from you and then there's the Chinese girl in your classes, who studied at the same University as your best friend. Believe it or not you've got connections all around the world.
5. You see the world from another point of view
You get to see others perspective of your country. You've lived there all your life, so it seems so normal to you, but seeing other people's point-of-view can really open up your mind. Being there during the Paris attacks helped me to understand and realize things that would have been hard to comprehend from the states.
6. You realize how little of the world you have actually seen
You never realize until you travel how many cultures and ways of life there really are. You meet new people, see new things, experience new cultural events and still you haven't even seen half of what is out there.
7. You make connections from around the world
The best part about making friends with people across the globe is that you know you will always have a familiar face and a place to stay when you go back. Even better, if you speak the language of the country you travel to, you meet people you never would have been able to talk to had you not know the language. Plus you always get to stay in contact and see what's going on with the area you left thanks to social media
8. You leave a changed person
You can't describe it to anyone who hasn't done it, but it becomes a part of who you are. You may have never seen yourself as the person to travel, but now that you've done it, you can't get enough of it. You have a whole new perspective on your country when you return and the country you left never leaves your heart.
