Why You Should Travel Internationally

Remember my blog post about going on a spontaneous road trip? If you don’t remember reading it, chances are you missed it, so go ahead and check it out after you finish reading this one. Well, that post prompted me to write this article on why you should travel internationally at least once in your life.

Since I talked about spontaneous trips earlier, May of 2016 was when I made the most impulsive decision of my life… and I’m not sure if I’ll ever top it. It was my last day of my internship and my mind was officially checked out – all I could think about was summer, summer, and more summer. Shortly after lunch, one of my friends called my cell phone and told me he had found a [really] cheap, all-inclusive vacation to Costa Rica. The catch? We had to take off a week from that day. Being young and craving adventure, without thinking twice I transferred money to my friend to book the trip. The most difficult part of this decision was figuring out how to explain to my parents that the following week I would be leaving the country for eight days.. yikes! That decision, though, was one of the best decisions of my life. Here’s why:

5 Reasons Why You Should Travel Internationally

1. It’s relaxing.  You don’t HAVE to go a tropical country to be relaxed (although, it does help). Beach or not, it’s still nice to catch a break from reality for a few days. You have no responsibility other than to enjoy yourself.

   

2. The world is beautiful. This might sound obvious, but I had no what I was missing out on until I traveled internationally. I’m not saying the United States isn’t pretty, because it is, but there is SO MUCH more to see. Being in a different country lets you experience the world through a completely different perspective; it’s breathtaking. Earth’s beauty will help you appreciate life a little more.
3. You’ll learn different cultures. No matter where you go, you’ll come across many different cultures. I encourage you to talk with the locals and befriend them; they’ll help you get around and make your trip an enjoyable one.
4. You’ll meet people from all over the world. While I was in Costa Rica, I met people from all over the United States, Australia, England and Mexico that ranged from ages 18 to mid 50’s – we still keep in touch. What I’m saying is that you’ll spend your vacation with the same people (depending where you go) and you’ll become close with them. The people you surround yourself with are the people that will make your trip that much more memorable.
5. You’ll create memories that will last a lifetime. Between the beauty of the nature, different cultures, and new friendships, the memories from your travels will last you your entire lifetime. I often find myself going through photos from my trip and thinking about what I would do to go back. Until next time.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re in college, a working professional, or retired, you deserve a break from reality. Plus, it’s good for your health to get away for a bit. Take the spontaneous trip. Travel internationally. And splurge a little. You’ll thank yourself and you’ll have the time of your life doing so.

“Take vacations, go as many places as you can. You can always make money, you can’t always make memories.” – Unknown