Growing up with a dad who flew planes as a hobby gave me multiple chances to travel while I was still young. Starting in third grade, I was introduced to Hawaii, and by the time I hit high school I had been to almost every state (at least the ones worth seeing). Different countries were added to the list somewhere along the way. I was submerged in different cultures every time, and as I got older more opportunities became available for what I could see. I climbed up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, experienced 14 feet of snow in Yellowstone, got a foot away from a Nurse shark in Staniel Cay (on accident, oops), watched the sunset change colors over the water in Newfoundland and went cliff jumping in Cancun. Growing up traveling made me realize how much you gain from seeing the world when you are young.
1. You obtain travel experience while you still can.
A lot of people put off traveling for the future, saying they will go places once they get out of college. But the truth is, you don’t have a lot of money to travel right after college. When you are a kid and your parents give you the opportunity to go somewhere new, take it. Appreciate the fact that it’s not your own money that you are spending at the time because it soon will be.
2. "The older you get, the more appreciation you gain for new cultures and places."
True. However, you only get to experience things when you are young once. You have a whole lifetime to experience and appreciate them when you are an adult. And as Chee Vai Tang said, "If we could all see the world through the eyes of a child, we would see the magic in everything."
3. You find a new thing to fall in love with (one that won’t break your heart).
There are many fears tied to traveling- heights, being kidnapped, getting lost in a new place, etc. These often hold people back from leaving their comfort zone, and they don’t realize that traveling is an amazing experience that they very easily will fall in love with.
4. It forces you to spend time with your family which actually ends up being kind of fun.
While spending time with your parents isn’t considered “cool,” bonding over whatever exotic place you are at ends up creating memories you will cherish later on in adulthood.
5. It's impressive to say you've been to 30 different states by the time you are 13 (and no, you aren't an "army brat").
Because come on, being able to say you’ve seen half the world, or even half the country, is pretty cool, especially when the kid sitting beside you in class hasn’t left the East coast.
6. You learn things that you can't learn online or inside a classroom.
Regardless of the amount of travel videos you watch, brochures you read or comments you read on travel websites, you won’t know how much your feet sink into the sand in The Bahamas or how the air always smells fresh in less-populated areas of Canada, until you actually experience it yourself.
7. It has an impact on your future.
Who knows, you may end up wanting to major in something international, or travel abroad in college.
Regardless, once you get hooked on traveling, you won’t be able to stop.
