Currently, the world population is pegged at about 7 billion. This number is spread across 195 countries and 7 continents. But irrespective of where you currently live or what country you are from, the truth is, you only stay in a small fraction of the entire planet. There is a bigger world out there, and one of the ambitions I think we should all have as humans should be to explore other aspects of the world beyond our small space where we call home. Traveling is one of the most effective ways of learning, which, unfortunately, many people still don’t take advantage of, to say the very least. While others may see traveling as a luxury, I think it is one of the basic needs we all have. By nature, we are all born with that part of us that wants to explore and feed our curiosity and imagination. We want to know what’s behind the red curtain of where we are and be exposed to the new experiences that tickle our fancy.

“The best education I have ever received was through travel.” — Lisa Ling.

Personally, exposing myself to traveling by visiting one place or another across the globe has made me learn more about the world I currently live in. I couldn’t have had some of the rich experiences I have garnered should I have just remained in my geographic location’s comfort zone by not embracing traveling. Some of the relationships that have supported my personal and business growth were all born out of trips I made elsewhere. So today, in this article, I would like to share with you “10 Reasons Why You Should Travel More.” Think about it. Don’t you sometimes wish you could travel the world and visit breath-taking sites like the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the Taj Mahal in India, Camps Bay in South Africa, the Uluru or Ayers Rock in central Australia, or just backpack through the Australian Outback, or any other location that you have always dreamt of someday visiting? Or maybe you don’t have your eyes fixed on something high or far-off; you want to explore new but nearby environments where you can meet new people and spark a new relationship. Whatever your desire, the truth is that traveling is an essential need of every human—something you should commit to allowing yourself to experience.

10 Reasons Why You Should Travel More

The airports are always buzzing with people on the move—a clear analogy of travel in motion. Think Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport globally, with over 110,531,300 passengers passing through its gates and traversing the world. The power of travel is just electric. You clear the airport security, and you are walking, or sometimes running, with excitement to get to your departure gate before you miss your flight to start your journey. It is a power-driven feeling, knowing that in a few hours, ceteris paribus, you would be at your destination for business or pleasure. The excitement is not just for those traveling by air alone. The same goes for those traveling by water (e.g., a cruise) or land (e.g., a road trip or even a train trip). Whatever the travel mode you choose, we can all agree that we feel a rush from a cocktail of excitement and happiness hormones (e.g., Adrenaline, Dopamine, Endorphins, Oxytocin, and Serotonin) shaken, not stirred. So, apart from the fun factor that accompanies the act of embarking on a new journey as we travel, there are many other reasons we should consider exploring often. So let us now look at 10 reasons why you should travel more.

#1. Traveling Expands Your Knowledge

Traveling is a fabulous form of self-education. There were certain things I didn’t know (and I couldn’t have known), not until I packed my bags and hit the road (or plane). Sometimes we get caught up in our own little world that we only see things from a limited perspective. Traveling gives you new insights, new awareness, a fresh take on everything. Sometimes you don’t get to learn the facts about something by just reading books or relying on media reports, not until you visit the location yourself. When you travel, you expand your knowledge horizon and improve your learning curve. You immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the ambiance of your destination. Travel develops the way you speak and the analogies that you draw from.  If you really want to grow in knowledge over the next few years, be intentional about adding traveling to your to-do list repertoire. If you are worried about cost, then design your travels to match what your budget can handle. You don’t even need to travel far. Just a visit to a new location in your town or country will expose you to new thinking and grow your knowledge.

#2. Traveling Helps You Meet New People

One of the most beautiful gifts we have as humans is people’s gifts and the opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships with them. As we stated at the beginning of this editorial piece, the world we live in is a big place, and we have over 7 billion people living in it. Why not allow yourself to meet new people outside your normal daily routine or circle? The truth is that at the end of our lives, one of the things we would remember are the moments we shared with people we met along the way. Traveling is an excellent way of meeting new people and creating an endearing connection. Meeting new people also allows you to learn their language, eat their food, and understand how they see life. Some of the opportunities I am benefitting from today came because of exchanging personal contact information with some persons I met in some of my travels. Don’t stay tethered to one location. Learn to leave your comfort zone and interact with new people you meet along the way. Traveling will help you achieve that.

#3. Traveling Exposes You to New Culture

The way you do things is not the way others do things, period! Sometimes the mistake we make is that we want to impose our beliefs on others without understanding or respecting that the world doesn’t work that way. Just the same way our faces are different, our cultures, traditions, and ideologies are different. For example, if you visit Brazil, you will realize that their way of life is different from those in India, Thailand, and those in Uganda and other parts of the world. No one culture is better than the other. The diversity of civilizing traditions is what makes life beautiful and balanced. But when you don’t travel, you are likely to think that your culture is supreme over another, which is a complete fallacy. It was Mark Twain, the renowned American writer and humorist, who once said, “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Give yourself a chance to experience other cultures outside yours. If not for anything, it helps deepen your perspective and shows you the beauty of others’ existence. It will also spawn tolerance and acceptance in the depths of your being.

#4. Traveling Allows You to Relax and Recharge

If you are an upwardly mobile person like me, you will agree that traveling also helps you recharge yourself after working hard to earn a living. Life can be busy and stressful that you find yourself caught up in many rat races of endless ambitions, tasks, and to-dos. If you are not careful, you may often find yourself completely exhausted to the point of breakdown. Therefore, occasionally, learn to step back and give yourself a break to catch your breath and recharge your psychological drive. Sometimes it is difficult to attain this rest and freedom while still hanging around the same spot. This is one reason you need to take a break, shut yourself off work, and travel to a new location where you can detox, de-crowd your mind, and renew yourself for more optimal performance. Don’t wait until you have made all the money or achieved all your goals before giving yourself some time off. Create an annual vacation for yourself when you take time off the usual work environment and routine. One of the ways I do this is to schedule various travels that completely take my mind off work. I will advise you to give this approach a try if you haven’t already. Relax and recharge the metaphorical batteries of the psyche now and then via traveling.

#5. Traveling Develops Your Worldview

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and you felt very disgusted doing so because the person was simply narrow-minded yet refusing to keep an open mind to new ideas or perspectives? Such a conversation could be really draining, to say the very least. I have been in many such talks, and I found myself hoping that the person(s) would travel and get exposed. Travelling gives you a better worldview—Weltanschauung (i.e., a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and humanity’s relation to it)—than just staying in one place. You get to see and feel what others are going through in other parts of the globe. You also understand what excellence really means or what it means to be living in abject poverty or deprivation. You also get to understand diplomacy, world economies, politics, and ideologies shaping the world at large. The truth is, someone that has lived all his or her life in one geographic location will not reason the same way as someone who has traveled to multiple places around the world. The way they see the world will be different.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust.

#6. Traveling Inspires New Levels of Growth

Sometimes if you really want to grow to the next level of your dreams and aspirations, you need to change location. Traveling to places that inspire you can help unlock new performance levels of progress in your personal life and career, business, or relationship. There are several innovative ideas or answers to some tough questions that only came to me during my many trips. Maybe I saw something, or someone made a particular statement that triggered some eureka moment within me, leading to finding the solution that I needed. Traveling is an éclair that adds flavor and growth to your ephemeral walk and existence. It is a catalyst that propels you towards the ne plus ultra of your next level of growth. Traveling will give you wings as you soar to the next level of your future achievements. If you are stuck in your life or looking for new inspiration for growth, I would recommend you add traveling to your bucket list of activities to engage in. Believe me; it works like magic!

#7. Traveling Helps You to Break Routine

Traveling doesn’t always have to be something you do for one serious purpose or another. Sometimes you need to travel for the fun of it. Sometimes you should take a trip to break out of the daily routine you are already used to. Mike Murdock once said that “The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” Routine births discipline. Routine gives birth to continuity and eventual mastery of a craft. However, one thing about routine is that at some point, it can become monotonous. At the junction of monotony, it begins to hamper your creativity and ability to tap into new levels of intelligence. At this point, where boredom sets in, you will need a jolt of imaginative variety to continue the spawning of creativity and innovation. Humans seek variety and newness by nature, so always learn to give yourself that pilule of a new experience. Doing one thing for a long time could cause you to feel apathy. Traveling helps you to discover more about yourself and do incredible things you may have once considered impossible. Whenever I travel, I learn something new that helps me unleash more of my innate potential. That way, when I am back from the trip, I am always a changed person—break the routine and go somewhere beautiful and have fun. Traveling has a way of infusing new life into my routine as I get back to the grind.

#8. Traveling Exposes You to New Opportunities

Milton Berle, the American anchor, and comedian, once said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” In my own words, I would state that if an opportunity doesn’t come knocking, go out there and look for it. I have seen many people who sit on their own personal growth and liberation because they keep waiting for the opportunity to show up at their doorsteps and hand them their parcel of a breakthrough. They prepare themselves, no doubt, but they only wait for opportunities to show up before they put their preparation to work and experience progress. If you really want to grow in life, you must get rid of such a mindset. Never wait for an opportunity—you may end up waiting forever. Instead, go out there and grab it by the wrist—take the opportunity-bull by the horn and conquer it and let victory be yours. People who wait for opportunities often miss the boat. Don’t be like them. Step out of your cocoon and explore more of what life has to offer you. Traveling to new locations exposes you to business opportunities you can take advantage of if only you would step out and embrace them.

#9. Traveling Offers A Time for Self-Reflection

We all need that private moment for ourselves to connect with our inner being and Creator. An act of meditation is very healthy for your personal growth. When you travel, you have an opportunity to unplug yourself from the various distractions that life throws your way and spend quality time by yourself or with friends and loved ones. You cannot underestimate the power of meditation. It is a stress alleviator and will add years to your existence. According to the late Chuck Norris, “Exercise, prayer, and meditation are examples of calming rituals. They have been shown to induce a happier mood and provide a positive pathway through life’s daily frustrations.” Was it not Socrates, the great philosopher, who made the following timeline statement, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” He was correct. Give yourself a moment when you step back and take stock of how far you have come and how much further you intend to go in life. Traveling out of your current location can be a great way to make this happen.

#10. Traveling Fosters Shared Memory

Traveling with your loved ones or those you really care about is one powerful way of creating memories that last forever. Growing up, some of my fondest memories revolved around when I traveled with my parents, both locally and internationally. I can also say that I have visited various iconic places with my spouse on road trips and international trips alike. It affords you the chance to spend more time together with your loved ones, communicate on deeper levels, and get to connect like never before. When you travel, ensure you treasure the moment. As much as possible, don’t take work along. Learn to unplug and disconnect and create moments with your friends and loved ones. As much as possible, stay away from all stress catalysts. Make it a halcyon moment, a time of beauty and personal reflection with your friends and loved ones. Take a memorable photo. Make a good video of yourselves. Engage in cool sports like kayaking, volleyball, hunting, or simply campfire storytelling. Whatever you choose to do, ensure you make it exciting and memorable for everyone. I believe traveling with your loved ones is part of what makes life beautiful.

Travel is another form of education. Saint Augustine once said that “The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” The level of truth in this statement is deep. As you travel the world, you are going through the various pages of the book called World. In so doing, you are expanding the horizons of your learning and understanding. Staying in one location is just staying on one page of a universal bestseller called The World—how boring is that? A Karamo Brown once said that “I always encourage people to get out there, travel the world, see new things, experience new people, experience new food, experience new culture. What happens is that helps you to grow and be your best self.” I am in full concord with this assertion. Travel helps you grow as you become the best version of yourself ever. So, what is holding you back? Pack your bags and go somewhere. As you read The World and immerse yourself in the opulence of its golden gifts of knowledge, begin the adventure of transforming yourself into your best self ever.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Andre Gide.

Traveling works for me. I must say it is one of the activities that has really impacted my life and radically supported my growth as a person. Just like me, I believe it would work for you too if you choose today to make it become part of your habit. Make it a goal and objective to add traveling to the bucket list of things you will start doing today—don’t procrastinate—begin your adventure, and start growing in ways you wouldn’t have imagined. Don’t plant yourself in one location and stay there for life. Learn to explore new experiences, meet new people, and seek new treasures that the world has to offer you. Occasionally, pack your bags, buy a ticket, and head to that new destination you have in mind. If you are worried about the expenses, then note that you really do not have to make it a trip to a faraway place. You could go somewhere close and make it a low-budget exercise. Either way, make sure you travel and be sure to tell your story.