Traveling is more than seeing pretty places and taking lots of photos. Just ask anyone who has moved a bit in his or her life, and you will see that everyone learns something in their travels. It does not have to be something of utmost importance. It can be very small and insignificant. But no matter where you go and how often you travel, such experiences will expand your horizons. As you can imagine, I am not referring to literal horizons. But you will see how a single trip have life-altering effects, while multiple trips can teach you almost nothing.
If you are a confident person, you will probably have a very good opinion of yourself. That in itself is a terrific thing, and people with more confidence will experience more in their lives. However, you will meet people in your travel, a lot of them, and you will realize that some of them are better than you. They do not have to have more money than you or a better job. It is enough for someone to have made more sacrifices for less than you would. Once you come to that realization, you will feel humble. Why? Because you will realize that some people are willing to do more for less than you have, and that will paint an entirely different picture for you. As a result, you will become more appreciative of what you are as a person and what you have. I know that is sounds a bit cliché, but it must have started somewhere, right?
If you like to hike or trek, then you will see a lot of nature on your travels. A lot of people declared themselves more appreciative of life after a few such trips. Why? Because you can never appreciate nature in all its glory if you stay mostly indoors. Plus, when you travel, you get to see more than you know, and for some reason, that expands your image over nature. You will think of it as bigger and broader. You will have some new respects for it. But do you know when that realization comes most of the times? When you see nature disrespected. Finding a littered place, seeing a sea turtle tangled in some plastic, or watching the corals die, are experiences that will make you angry at the world. It is at that moment you will decide to respect nature more than before.
The world is more significant than you can imagine. The 7 billion of people that live here are not alike. We all have different customs, and when it comes to culture, traveling is the best way to take it in. You can read all the book and watch all the documentaries, but nothing compares to experiencing a new culture first-hand. You get to see how other people live, how they grow food, how they pray, how they love, and that is something that no book or video can mimic. I strongly recommend such an experience, and you will find plenty of people around the world that are willing to take you in for a few days.
Yes, traveling can require a lot of effort. You may need a visa or multiple. You need to spend money on means of transportation and accommodation. But you also gain so much. You will be a better person for choosing to travel than for buying that new car that you do not need. Not trying to sound judgy here. It is just that there are so many other things out there that can expand your horizons, and traveling is the best example.
