Can you smell it? The sweet smell of summer is finally here. I’m sure everyone has their epic “Summer 2016 Bucket List” all planned out. It probably entails endless summer days by the pool getting tan with your friends. Or taking late night drives with the windows down as you play your music as loud as possible. And I’m sure everyone’s’ lists include concerts, drive-in movies, and ice cream dates. But here is the number one thing that should be on everyone’s summer bucket list: traveling.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” –St. Augustine
I could not agree more with St. Augustine. Where you are right now is only a tiny part of this giant world that we are given to see. If we limit ourselves to what we already know then how do we learn new things? How do we meet new people? How do we grow?
The answer is simple, we don’t.
Whether you travel to a different country, state, city, or even a new restaurant down the road, everyone should travel this summer and here’s why.
Everything is new.
I mean it’s as simple as that. You are in a new place, a new environment. You are able to see things that you have dreamed about seeing. Even if you aren’t seeing one of the wonders of the world you are seeing something that is completely new to you. That’s the beauty of traveling. No one can define what is beautiful to you. It’s all about how you perceive what you see.
Not only do you get to see so much, but also you meet new people. The people you meet have their own unique stories that hopefully you will learn. You get to form special bonds with these people that you meet and more often than not, these people impact your life forever.
You are forced to leave your bubble.
So often we get wrapped up in our own life and all of the stress that it causes. We forget that there is a world outside of our bubble. When you travel, you are forced to get out of your comfortable bubble. You have to learn to adapt to the new environment that you are in whether that means learning a new language or trying exotic foods. By traveling you are able to push yourself to exceeding limits to see just how far you can go.
You find yourself.
If it wasn’t for the traveling that I have done then I have no idea where I would be in life. I owe the majority of my growth through the traveling that I have done. You learn to see the world as this precious gem of opportunities. You see so many new things and meet so many new people that it's inevitable that you change. But, you’re changing for the good. You are becoming the person you are meant to be. And you can give all the thanks to your travels.
So as summer approaches and you start planning your summer events, I urge you to add some sort of travel into your agenda. Go to that coffee shop you always wanted to go to, take a weekend road trip with your friends, or if you’re feeling crazy buy a plane ticket to Madrid. I promise you will never be the same.
