Although I haven't travelled much internationally, it is something that I'm extremely passionate about. Whether it's visiting a place with a completely different language and culture or somewhere similar to home, there is always something to learn when visiting foreign places.
Your 20s are supposed to be your golden years. You might still be in college, or you may have just graduated. You probably don't have your dream job yet, but you're on your way there. You may have a significant other, or you might not. But most importantly, your life is still constantly moving and changing. This is where traveling comes into play. Because you aren't old and grumpy and set in your ways yet, you can still take so much from different places that you visit and people that you meet. It has the power and potential to influence your life in countless ways.
The most beautiful thing about traveling is getting to experience people from all different walks of life, with different cultures, values, and perspectives. Travel changes you in ways that you might not even understand. It could give you a humbling, reaffirming, or questioning experience. You may meet lifelong friends. Or, you may find just exactly what you are passionate about. Most importantly, you will learn throughout your entire experience, which by itself makes the whole thing worth it.
Although you may want to spend these years saving up to buy a house, a car, or even a new wardrobe for your job, I say put away a little bit to use to go visit your dream country. Don't get me wrong, I save all the time. My future is extremely important to me, and I want to be able to finance it myself without any help. But there is something so beautiful, unique, and awe-inspiring about traveling to a foreign country that no car or house could make up for it.
Our futures are extremely important, but so is living in the "now." If we are so focused on our futures, then we won't have stories to tell our kids. So I say be a little selfish. Take a week and go to that place that you've been dreaming about. Get lost in streets with names in other languages. Close your eyes and try that food that looks really disgusting-- it'll make for a great story. And hey, no one can say that you didn't do it. Most importantly, take something away from each place you go to. It may be a new food, word, outlook, or understanding, but it has made you a more well-rounded person. Oh, and don't forget to Instagram a picture of that amazing sunset (you can thank me later).
