You have the ability to do it. You can book a flight, hostile, and food options in a day. You can technically do that. You hold back because your people are here, your home is here, your comfort is here. You're afraid about money costs (please see #19), you think you need to start your life right away, you worry.
This, my dear friends, is not the time to be second-guessing any of this. You do not have to start your life right away. You do not have to blow through your savings. You can see the world. You can travel for days, weeks, months, or years. That is your decision. Do it now, because you have no idea what the future holds and if you will be able to later on.
You haven't settled down yet
Most people in their twenties are not tied down to a certain place. They don't have children or a husband/wife, especially right out of college. Take advantage of this! Get traveling, there is so much to see.
You don't have as many responsibilities
Kerala Backwaters, Alappuzha, India
In your twenties, you don't have as many responsibilities as someone in their thirties. You probably don't have a mortgage with a house to take care of or have as many commitments. With age comes responsibilities and this is the prime time to have enough to be able to travel.
You'll learn how to handle responsibilities, time management, and money saving
The whole trip will teach you more in your twenties than you think. You can learn how to time manage (flights, check-ins, reservations), responsibilities (cleaning up after yourself while with a host, work if while traveling, and checking in on things at home while still paying bills), and money saving (and goal setting!).
You're in your prime! You have more energy and motivation now then ever
Cherry Springs State Park
Hannah Porter
Yup, this is it! Look at all that energy you're carrying! In a few years, that will all be gone. Take advantage of it! You are in the perfect time to appreciate where you are going but having fun at the same time. Even if it's traveling your country, hours away. Travel cross-country for awhile. Go somewhere.
You won't be in your forties wondering "what if..."
This is the worst. Ever look back and think "what if..."? I have. Imagine yourself in your home, doing day-to-day things, thinking how different things may have been if you just traveled a little. You let something hold you back. Maybe you were in a relationship or you thought money was an issue. Well, the right partner would support you and your life goals. If they gets upset, insists they come with you so you "behave", or quite simply does not support you, they are not the one. Do not let that hold you back. Secondly, there are so many ways to save and travel on a budget. I will touch on this! Keep reading!
You'll become exposed to so many different cultures
Even a few hour plane ride can take you somewhere completely different. These cultures will hopefully teach you how to respect others and their way of life, maybe understand different religions, and/or how to bring it back to teach others. Learn to appreciate these.
You have time
Like I said, you do not have to start life right away. So you take a few months to travel. So maybe you start a new career but schedule time off every few months. Maybe you make a deal to travel somewhere new once a year. You have time. You control your time. So, make time to travel.
You learn about who you are and who you want to be
Traveling can teach you what you really want most out of life. It forces you to figure out what is most important, what do you want to do with the rest of your life, who you want to spend that time with, or what do you have to do to live your best possible life? Life is too short and you only get one shot. Make it count.
To follow that, you'll learn to be okay on your own
Pennsylvania Grand Canyon
Hannah Porter
Now, this is not saying if you're in a relationship you have to break up or take them with you. But traveling by yourself can teach you how to be okay being on your own. We fill ourselves with love and surround ourselves with the people we enjoy and connect with. Although this is perfectly fine, we often forget what it is like to be on our own, how to love ourselves, and how to depend on ourselves. Sometimes in life, we need a little change of scenery and change of routine to help us see that.
You will make connections across the globe
Santorini, Greece "The White City"
Speaking of #16, the people. Your best friend might now live in a different time zone in a different country. You'll never know until you go! This is the prime time to make those connections, you never know who you are going to meet!
On the flip side (for my love birds), this might be the time to find out if your partner is truly the one for you
Lyžiarske stredisko Roháče - Spálená, Zuberec, Slovakia
Traveling with your partner can be so much fun and you can visit some of the most romantic places on this earth. You both have goals and dreams, and maybe some of that includes visiting somewhere you've always wanted to go. Traveling with your partner will show you the true side of the other person. It will show how they might do under stress, how they time manage, how they communicate, how they handle certain situations, and/or how well the two of you get along (especially if in tight quarters). Traveling with your partner can be great and eye-opening. Imagine seeing the world with your best friend!
You learn about what is most important to you
Travel often, but travel light. Traveling and packing can teach you what exactly is important to you. You don't need everything, you don't need it to be top-end. When you are in your twenties, you don't need the fancy hotel room, you might be okay with a hostile or a host family. You learn to appreciate these things.
You'll accomplish goals you wanted for yourself
Maybe you want to see the Northern Lights, maybe climb Mount Kilimanjaro, or see the Eiffel Tower. No matter what it is, this is the time to accomplish those goals, leaving you to feel as if you made the best out of your twenties.
You become more confident in yourself
Traveling can be tough in the beginning. The more you do it, the more confident you'll be. You will build self-confidence because you've learned. Traveling changes you in more positive ways than you might think.
It can help you decide your future
Long Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos Islands
Maybe you'll make a career out of traveling (traveling nursing anyone?) or find a new career you had no idea about. Maybe you realized home is somewhere other than home. Or maybe traveling just forced you to sit for a minute and actually think about what you want.
You'll have stories to tell your children one day
Not even just your children, but your grandchildren! This might be far away, but you'll want to tell these stories.
You'll break out of your comfort zone
We're prone to getting too comfortable. What better way to break out of the habit than to travel? Go somewhere new, try something new. Comfort is great to come back to, but you need to go somewhere in order to go back.
You'll find hidden places you had no idea about
One place leads into another. You'll meet someone who tells you about a place you never heard of, and it instantly becomes you're favorite place. When you travel in your twenties, you are easier to get along with. You'll most likely meet a ton of new people who will show you things Google cannot.
You don't have to spend a ton of money
Here's everyone's scary part. You don't have to blow through your bank account in order to get across the world! Here are some tips. This link has a ton of different ideas about how to travel on a budget!
You have your whole life to work, settle down, and stay in your comfort zone. Travel in your twenties, and make these years count
You have your whole life. You can settle down whenever you want. But if you do that right away, will you make time to travel? Do this first. There are so many places to see and things to do. Check off those things on your bucket list. This is the time to do it.
