The Gift of Travel

If there is one thing that I love about travelling, is that every single time I explore a little village, the local pub from a small town, my friends favorite coffee shop or a different country all together, is the gift of perspective. The fact that everywhere I go, I learn something new. It can be something about the place itself. The people around me. The history of the spot. All these things make me want to explore more and in return, I get a deep sense of understanding for the people who live there and their daily lives. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that by just visiting a new city or a bar, I’m immediately connected to it and that I know what people go through right off the bat. It’s a process. But the more I do it the more I can relate to them.

I always find it interesting when a friend or just simply anyone goes off and travels somewhere, comes back and immediately wants to talk about it. Of course, they will tell you about the things they liked and disliked about the place. But I can bet that you will notice something different about them. The way they express themselves, the way they look at you and you can immediately tell that they’ve grown as a person. They’ve gone out of their way to explore and immerse themselves somewhere different and out of their comfort zones. And as a reward they’ve come closer to understanding the chaos and beauty that is humanity.

I’ve been extremely lucky and grateful that my parents encouraged my brothers and I to always do something different and if given the chance, to explore and go off somewhere new. But also they encouraged us to accept people for who they are and how they go about their lives. At one point or another we all form an opinion of what the world is and what it should be, but I believe that the more you travel, the more you see, the more you listen and the more you allow yourself to understand people and their different backgrounds, you will stop worrying about what the world should be like and what you want it to be, instead you’ll take a step back and appreciate it for what it is and what it always has been.

So go on out into the world. Get out of your pajamas and put on your explorer's hat, because the world is waiting for you to see it.