What travelling will teach you that nothing else can  

By Sarah 

Without a doubt, travelling has the power to change you. Being an experienced traveller myself, I can hands down say I would not be the person I am today without my wild adventures across the globe. By surrounding yourself with different people, surroundings and cultures, your outlook on life changes.  

Of course, travel isn’t all glory, and it can be quite daunting, we can be faced with just as many challenges as at home. But travelling gives a power to the wanderer unlike any feeling, because when you step outside your comfort zone, you empower yourself with a different kind of strength, one that pushes you to overcome your fears.  

But for the most part, travelling is an exciting and rewarding adventure. It can teach us so much about ourselves and the world as it broadens our minds and expands our knowledge. Travelling will teach you more life lessons then you can ever imagine to understand by staying at home. Get out of your routine, and like I have already said, GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! 

Probably one of the biggest things you can learn is patience. Your plans won’t always go as you hoped and as you continue to travel more, you’ll find that your ‘flow’ will be met with delays and language barriers. You will learn how to handle these situations and it is the best lesson in patience.  

The most rewarding part of my travels has been having strangers turn into lifelong friends. Building a global network of friends is one of the best things you can do, especially if you have decided to venture out into the world alone. You may be thinking, ‘I’m not that social’ or ‘I barely make friends here, how could I possibly in another country,’ and the answer is trust me, finding friends is not hard at all. You will both have a mutual love for travelling and they will be happy to hear all about your stories and what your life is like back home, and all this just strengthens the bond.  

But in saying that, travelling can also teach a person that being alone isn’t a bad thing! Being alone gives you the space to reflect on yourself and your experiences. This is your own journey, and you can take it in whatever direction you choose. It is a huge step to travel on your own, but I would recommend it to everyone to try once.  

I think one thing that I loved when travelling was the kindness and humility of people where I travelled. In bigger cities not so much, but in smaller communities you find people are so genuine and want to say hello and give you a smile. Not everyone is going to be kind, but accept that a lot of people are and will definitely be intrigued by your accent. I would recommend giving them the time of day and accept the kindness shown to you, you will truly feel impacted at the end of the day.  

There are so many things travel will teach you that no person or university class will ever teach. Be open minded and accept the lessons given to you along your journey. My 2 volunteering trips will always remain forever close to my heart, and were definitely some of my more challenging adventures. I hope this has inspired you to open up your heart to a trip across the world when we finally come out the other side of this pandemic. To kick you off, I would recommend starting your new adventure in the incredible country that is Thailand, you can check out our programs for 2022 here.