Reasons you should never pass up the opportunity to travel

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."

- St. Augustine

Looking back over the years, I realize my experiences with travel differ from most people's.

Coming from Germany, my mother moved to the United States a few years before I was born to be with my father. To date, she is the only member of her family that has left Europe. Because of this, I was traveling overseas before I had even learned to speak.

Since then, I have been truly lucky to have seen more of the world as a child and young adult than most people see in their entire lives. While there aren't many people who get that opportunity, somewhere along the way, most people will get a chance to travel at some point in their life. Whether it's to see a part of this world they haven't seen before, or see it again in a different way. My advice to those people is to take the chance without thinking twice, and here's why:

Remember that eventually, you'll go right back home, doing the same things you did on any other day. Use travel time as a chance to experience new things. Be adventurous and take advantage of opportunities you'd never have on a day-to-day basis.

The People

Growing up in a small mid-western town, there usually isn't a whole lot of openness to foreign ideas or attitudes. I can guarantee you that it would be impossible for me to count the number of times I've heard something ignorant or narrow-minded about other cultures and the people living in them. When you travel, you truly begin to appreciate the infinite amounts of diversity in the world. Sometimes, you find things that you strongly agree with. Sometimes, you don't. Either way, you almost always realize that there is more than one way of thinking, and it's okay for people to live differently than you.

If you're going to travel, whether it's to the next state over or halfway across the globe, do it with an open mind. People will keep on living, just as they were before, when you leave. So just take it all in and appreciate the diversity our world has to offer.

The Food

I'll concede, my mom can make her share of good meals. But, we're a German household. Culturally, unless it's a meal native to the land of bratwurst and sauerkraut, it lacks in the variety department. Nothing you buy from the grocery store and whip up from a Pinterest recipe is going to be quite as good as tasting the authentic, real deal. Whether it's pasta in Italy, barbecue in Tennessee, or enchiladas in Mexico, you can do your best at re-creation, but unless you were raised on those traditional recipes, you'll never really know how to get it just right.

While we're discussing food, I'd also like to offer up this piece of advice (begrudgingly). Be open to trying new things. The point of travel is to experience something different firsthand. I used to be the world's pickiest eater (sorry mom and dad), and there's still a limit to how adventurous I'll let my taste buds get. However, as I've gotten older, I have made a conscious effort to not be so quick to reject a food simply because it's foreign to me. Though I may have regretted it a time or two, more often than not, it's resulted in a positive experience.

The History

Now this may vary for a lot of people, but I've personally always loved taking history classes and learning about the many ways the world used to be. History may not be your forte, but it really doesn't need to be. Going through a slideshow and a textbook is nowhere near equivalent to standing in a place where a monumental moment in time once occurred. Even if a history lesson wasn't something you planned to take away from your experience, try to make sure you lend some time to learning something new about your destination. There's nothing wrong with coming away from your trip a better educated individual. 

The Memories

Even though I may have been hot and exhausted from the unexpected, large amounts of walking, places like the Acropolis of Lindos, Greece, Moab National Park in the deserts of Utah, and the Muir Woods National Monument in California remain some of the most amazing sights I've ever witnessed. No matter how many pictures you see or how many stories you hear, nothing will compare to the memories you make yourself.

While traveling, remember that eventually, you'll go right back home, doing the same things you did on any other day. Use it as your chance to experience new things. Be adventurous and take advantage of opportunities you'd never have on a day-to-day basis.

Motivations for travel will differ from one person to the next. I'm sure there are many of you who don't relate to all, if any, of the points I've made. Some of you may have totally different reasons that drive your love for travel. Whatever your motivator, or lack thereof, there is always something to gain. Life experiences enhance your personal growth in one way or another, so turning down an opportunity to see more of the world hurts only you.

While it's debatable as to what the 'best' time to travel is, there are benefits and challenges regardless of what stage in your life you're in. At my age, most people don't have the finances on their own to fund these sorts of adventures. People in their careers, and with families, find it harder to make time for travel because of the business of their lives. Just because it isn't easy, doesn't mean it isn't worth working toward.

If I leave you with anything, I implore you not to underestimate the impact traveling can have on your life. It can be so incredibly invigorating and humbling all at once. My experiences in the world have helped shaped me into who I am today, and I wouldn't trade a single second of it. If you get the chance to see someplace new, then go. You never know what you'll gain if you never give it a chance.

It's a big, fascinating world out there, so start seeing it.