It was said, maybe 250 years ago, that travel was what made a man. Or woman.

Travel was seen as a status symbol, as a sign that you had achieved something in your life. It was a talking point and certainly made the difference between two people. Who would you rather talk to, marry, or hire? Definitely, the person who was travelled.

The best way to understand this is to think of how we regard someone today who has been to university or college.

They have gained an education, they are knowledgeable, they have skills and perspective that our society loves. We value someone who has a lot of education. That’s the person people prefer to talk to, marry, or hire.

Travel and education, although we think of them differently, aren’t actually that far off. They end up having similar effects on who we are. It’s not about the places we’ve been or the classes we’ve taken.

It’s about perspective. It’s about new understanding. It’s about stepping outside of what you know, and moving into something unfamiliar. It challenges you and forces you to grow and become different and (hopefully) better.

It’s time we started seeing travel, not as an excursion we plan for some sun and a cheap souvenir. It’s time we saw travel as something more. Something elevated. Something to be highly regarded and valued.

I just happen to think travel is SO much more than finding a warmer spot on a beach (although I do love that). Yes, you will get a tan, or get a few photographs, or maybe a stomach bug.

But you’ll also come back with something else. A new lease of life, a refreshed understanding, and maybe a little compassion for your fellow man. Above all, travel is fun!

As a way to restore our minds back to when we loved travelling (and it wasn’t just something we did without thinking much of it), let’s look at some of the solutions travel presents to us.

Travel for Education

I love the idea that travel is a way for you to learn. The whole world is a classroom with seven billion teachers to give you an education that you could never get in any school.

Think about what you achieve by going to school, because that’s the same as what you get when you experience new cultures, new languages, and new places you’ve never seen before.

Learn perspective

One of the first shocks you get as a college or university student is the people you meet. Most of the time, it’s the first time you’ve been exposed to a whole new way of thinking and doing. People from around the world mix and meet in universities. In fact, that’s where the word comes from.

Unity through Diversity: University.

Travel is the exact same experience. You’re thrown out of your comfort zone into a whole new way of thinking and doing.

Let me give you an example.

Have you ever travelled to Spain? You get immersed in a whole new culture that thinks and works differently. I’m pretty fond of the “siesta”, practically a nation-wide rest period during the heat of mid-afternoon.

Of course, they’re not the only country to do it. Try and find an open garage in India or an operating restaurant in Brazil at 3 pm, and you’ll be stuck. But that new perspective of everyone having a rest period is great to experience.

Plus, now that everyone is well rested, you get to eat and drink late into the night. That’s something you probably would never experience as part of the culture in your home country.

Learn the Unfamiliar

As you take your classes at school, you learn new subjects that are completely foreign to you.

You could take a course on the Historiography of Islamic Architecture, or Combinatorial Theory, or how about Antimicrobial Stewardship. These are completely new, unfamiliar topics for you to learn.

But, a short plane ride away from your home country, you could experience the rituals of a Bhutanese monastery, or try the food of a Nepalese street vendor, or navigate the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City’s business district.

The newness of it all causes your eyes to open and take in information that you didn’t even know existed. As you expose yourself to the new, the unfamiliar, you’re suddenly much more aware of how the world around you works.

Who’d have thought trying to cross a busy Vietnamese road would make you smarter?

Learn a New Challenge

Nobody said university was easy. At least, nobody I knew. I’m sure there are weirdos who love and appreciate the challenge of higher education, but not in my circle of friends.

It’s difficult. It’s challenging. It stretches parts of you that you need so that you can grow and succeed. You can’t float through university or college and expect to come out with top marks. If you want to become better or get better marks, you need to learn to deal with the difficult.

I can tell you, there’s not a lot more difficult than trying to negotiate with a grumpy taxi driver in a language you don’t understand. Or trying to figure out money exchange rates on the fly. Or working out whether you’re allowed to eat with your left hand or not.

The challenge of travel is part of the education. You’re stretching and learning to become better. Maybe that encounter in the market was difficult, but now you’ve learned the valuable art of negotiation. Maybe it’s challenging to think exchange rates and money, but now you’re aware of the value of items.

The challenge of being in somebody else’s culture is hard at first, but it’s so rewarding and worth it in the end.

Travel for Peace of Mind

Life is difficult. I get that. You’ve got work, bills, health insurance, petrol to pay for, lawns to mow, kids to inoculate, neighbours to greet, and a whole pile of TV shows to catch up on.

That gets very heavy. It’s no wonder you can’t wait to get away from it all.

I truly believe travel is the best way to escape that grind and get some peace. Peace of mind and peace of the soul. It’s worth seeking out an escape.

So, what’s your escape?

Is it trekking through mountain terrain?

Is it wakeboarding behind a boat on a clear lake?

Or is it finding some quiet in a secluded villa all to yourself?

Whatever it is, you can find it around the world, chasing your peace of mind to get a break from the burdens of life. There’s a reason travel can be called a “getaway”.

Travel for Discovery

Discovery was one of the main reasons for travel not too long ago. Let’s not forget that as we discover certain things on our own travels.

Discover Landmarks

All my life, I dreamt of visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. It’s spoken of as the greatest monument to love, an all-white marble structure built for a queen by a king who loved her dearly.

And although I had seen pictures and videos, it was still a magical experience to finally walk through the East Gate and see the Taj Mahal for the first time.

I’ve been a few times now, but that sense of discovery is just as exciting. Landmarks can do that for you. Just because they’re famous doesn’t make your personal discovery any less exciting. Travelling to these landmarks around the world, although it’s not a job, is as fulfilling as travel can be.

Discover Something Sacred

What’s a sacred site?

It’s a place where history was made. It’s where a battle was fought, or where a country was founded, or where people died for something greater. The word “sacred” simply means “set aside”. We set aside places in the world because that place has great significance.

Standing on a sacred site isn’t anything you can experience by watching it on TV. Walking into the buildings of Auschwitz, walking the streets of Jerusalem where Jesus walked or experiencing the silence in an Egyptian tomb is breathtaking. It’s incredible to stand on a location where history occurred. You should discover that sense of grandeur by finding a sacred site.

Discover Yourself

Don’t lose yourself in a busy world. Sometimes, it’s tough to remember why you’re going to your job, why you’re taking your kids to school, and why you’re living where you are.

You need to travel to discover things about yourself that you may have forgotten. Maybe by walking through a Spanish coastal town, you rediscover your love of fresh seafood. Or maybe by strolling through the markets of Marrakesh, you discover you don’t like Marrakesh…;)

Sometimes you just need to take a break from the everyday to discover something new…

…about yourself.

Travel for Reconnection

Most people over-estimate how long a year is, and underestimate how long a decade is.

Too often, you take a look around and your friends have moved on, your children are growing up, and you ask:

“Where did the time go?”

Maybe it’s time to slow down time by travelling together with the people we love. Take the time to rediscover your loved ones and connect with them through the experiences of travel.

I know that most of my fondest memories of friends and family are from when we were travelling. Oh, they’re not all great memories, but I can talk about them and laugh.

“Remember that time when…”

“Your face was so funny when…”

Those moments reconnect us with each other. We can pull out photos and watch videos of our times travelling together.

Travel is fun on your own.

But travelling together is so much better.

 

I’m a travel nerd. I might be a bit biased talking about it. But I do honestly believe that travel is (and should be) the solution to a lot of our life’s problems.

How can travel be your solution?

 

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