Today, as a 19-year-old college student, one of my life long-term goals is to be able to travel or to have a job that requires me to travel and explore the world. What's surprising, to myself even, is that I didn't always have this desire. As a young child the idea of leaving my town, let alone my country, terrified me. I guess you can say I lived in my own little bubble. I was happy not knowing what was out there, so why risk that and leave? Well, now that I'm older and more experienced, I know all the reasons why that risk is worth taking. These are some of the reasons why traveling is so important and magical.

1. It widens our perspective.

Seeing new places and different people gives us a new look at things. Experiencing the way they do things and the way they live makes us reflect, not only on our life, but on life in general. This can influence our habits or even help us create new ones.

2. It creates new experiences.

Being exposed to situations, people and places we are not used to not only widens our perspective, but it also makes us more experienced. This means that once we return to our everyday life, we are able to use that experience to be better. It also makes us more adaptable to change and makes it easier to overcome obstacles.

3. It helps us break out of our shell.

Traveling forces anyone to step outside their comfort zone. Whether that means trying to speak a new language or talking to people we don't know, it definitely pushes us to be more outgoing.

4. It takes us away from our everyday life.

Everybody needs a break from our stressful lives, and what better way to that than by actually going elsewhere. Some people might call that escaping, I call it a well-deserved vacation.

5. It helps us relax.

Traveling usually goes hand in hand with vacationing, which is very relaxing. Doesn't matter where we go, there is something very magical and therapeutic about being away from home, in a mysterious place, discovering new things.

6. It allows us to create new memories.

This is especially true when traveling with the people we love. Moments spent away from home are truly special, and the memories made can't be recreated. This is why there's nothing better than looking back at pictures and souvenirs from that travel.

7. It forces us to try new things.

This is closely related to making new experiences. Especially when visiting a different country or an exotic place, we are forced to do things we had never even know we could do before. That might mean trying strange, unfamiliar foods or trying some extreme sport. Nevertheless, it makes us more adaptable and open-minded.

8. It helps us make new connections.

By connections, I mean people. Traveling allows us to meet people and make new friends. These aren't any friends, though. They are different because they have a different background and come from a different culture. This means they have a lot to teach us and a lot of things to show us. It might also be useful to keep in contact with these new friends, you know, in case you ever want to go back and visit.

9. It helps us learn about new languages.

I've always been fascinated with languages. Visiting different countries is the perfect way to hear new languages and pick up some words and sayings. Not only is it educational, but it's also a lot of fun and makes us feel in touch with other cultures.

10. It shows us that life is beautiful.

It is when we travel and we discover things we never knew before, that we really understand how beautiful life is and how lucky we are to be alive and have all these wonderful experiences.

11. It proves that we always have something to learn.

Going to unknown places proves that there is always stuff for us to learn and no matter how old we are, there will always be things we don't know. I think this is truly amazing and one of the reasons why life is so amazing. It's so cool that we can keep growing and expanding ourselves. There truly are no limits.

These are only a few of the infinite reasons why traveling is so important and so incredible. I know it can be expensive, but it's like investing money on bettering ourselves. That, to me, is a price worth paying.