One has to be literally living under a rock to not note the rise in the globe-trotting trend. Millions of people allured by the so-called “Wanderlust” traveling from one country to another across the globe. Being a millennial myself, I can vouch for the fact that I am always on the lookout for the next new place to visit. The wish list of must-have experiences and must-visit places is never-ending. We millennials are true to the word “birds of passage”, transient at best.
Having traveled to over 27 countries myself, I am still not satiated. I want to see more, do more, live more. I often wonder, what exactly is this relationship I have with travel? What urges me to seek more and more?
If I were to evaluate my affinity to travel like any other relationship, there are several good reasons to it and some not so good as well. I am going to go into the positive sides here.
1. Travel broadens one’s horizons
Immersing oneself in an all-new culture brings about an understanding that no other method of teaching can boast about. It is much bigger than being tolerant of your neighborhood country’s citizens. It is a knowledge that comes after one has visited their homeland, tasted their cuisine, experienced their hospitality and are aware (superficially if not in depth) of their culture, traditions, and values. Unlike tolerance which mainly stems from ignorance, understanding comes from knowledge. This understanding goes a long way not just for tourism but for almost any association between such neighboring countries.
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding
Albert Einstein
2. Travel is liberating
Travel gives us the freedom to be anyone we want to be. We are not bound by any identity shackles imposed on us externally or self-induced back home. Travel liberates us to adopt just about any personality trait we have always admired. Are you an introvert always trying hard to be social back home? Travel gives you the liberty to go to a new foreign place where you can sit alone in a café and bury your nose into all the books you could dream of. Or if you are an extrovert trying to curb your natural talkative instincts back home, travel could be the best way to interact with folks from diverse backgrounds and make friends along the journey. You can be chatty, bratty, self-obsessed, selfless, no strings attached for you can always go back to who you were once back home
3. Breaks the monotony
This has to be one of the biggest allures of traveling. Humans are petrified of falling into a routine. The monotony of day in and day out tasks become too much to handle and slowly we can feel the dust settling in our brains. Travel changes that the instantly. It helps miraculously just to break the monotony of day to day life to immerse yourself into something you haven’t done before. It could be traveling to a new country, learning a new sport, a new language, a random adventure. It rejuvenates you and makes you feel alive, much more alive than any of your usual day back at home.
But feeling this alive comes at a cost, read about the not so positive sides of the Millenial Relationship with Travel.
Traveling is a beautiful journey to lose yourself and find a whole new different you if you are open to it.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes”
Marcel Proust
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