Whether you are on a budget while holding your backpack in the mountains of Peru or sipping champagne in a luxury Scandinavian cruise, you’re a traveler.
Human Beings Were Meant To Be Explorers
If you have read your history book, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer was sent out on a deadly expedition to cross the Pacific Ocean to look for spices. Can you imagine being lost at sea and only to look for valuable spices? Also, he discovered the beautiful Asian country, The Philippines, and admired its tropical beauty. Back then, to be able to discover a vast land will bring a person fame and fortune.
Most lands have been discovered by now. People now often go on hikes, hop on a train, sail a boat, or be on their flight. Fact is, it happened then and it’s still happening now; we love to explore whether it is by foot, sea, or air. Our curiosity and primal need for adventure leads us somewhere.
Traveling is Easier Now
Thankfully, we don’t have the circumstances of the explorers from our history books. We are very lucky in this day and age, that traveling became much easier. Say farewell to the old ages when our ancestors endured long days of setting sail in the ocean (including the sea sickness). By now, by simply installing the right apps, checking travel blogs, or booking for promo flights, one can explore the world by storm.
Around the year 2000, you would have to carry around a huge travel guidebook with a map in a tourist area. Nowadays, all the information is on your smartphone. Are you a vegan traveler in a country that has a cuisine full of meat? Thankfully, an app is there to point you to the nearest vegan restaurant. Can’t understand the signage at the train station? Take a photo and let Google Translate do its magic. Not sure if you are going in the right direction? Just check Google Maps. Technology has continued to make breakthroughs, which is why everyone has an opportunity to travel now.
Why You Should Explore The World
The demands of our daily lives can lead to insanity…or a burnout. There are countless studies out there how traveling is beneficial to your overall well-being. Families can create new memories, working professionals feel more refreshed and inspired, best friends can strengthen their bond, or single people doing some soul-searching. Traveling can bring you experience and fulfillment that no material object can. The possibilities of personal growth are endless.
Learn From The Locals
Do you know what keeps a person closed-minded? Staying in your own bubble. By being in a territory outside of your own, you will gain knowledge of other cultures, cuisines, languages and people. While you can read about other places in a book or online, it is more fascinating to have meaningful conversations with the locals. Know more about their story and their lives, change your perspectives and preconceived stereotypes. In return, you will be surprised that they want to hear about your story too.
If you can, talk to people of all races. There are places that have become so multi-cultural that it has become so diverse and integral to society. Broaden your perspective like the famous Facebook page, Humans of New York.
Don’t Do It For The Instagram Moment
We all want to capture the perfect moment when we’re at an “Instagrammable” area, it is not often for a regular person to be in an extraordinary place. However, to travel just to show off is not a reason to travel. While social media can assist in finding new locations to set foot on, don’t let it be the defining factor on why you travel. You can definitely post your wonderful photos; no one’s stopping you! The saying “Stop and smell the roses” can be applied here.
For example, don’t take a photo of Vincent Van Gogh’s A Starry Night while you’re at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art just to prove you saw it with your very own eyes, but also appreciate the brush strokes, colors, and the history behind the famous painting. After all, not everyone has the privilege to see it up close!
Believe It or Not, People Make Excuses Not To Travel
Nowadays, everyone is going on their own adventures. But there are still skeptical people out there who have never even left their hometown. It’s very common to hear people announce “It’s too expensive!” or “I don’t have time.”
Don’t get intimated by these ideologies! You do not have to be rich to travel, but you can enrich your soul. Let this be a long-term investment for you as a human being.
It’s a Courageous Step
A trip is not always rainbows or butterflies; you could miss your flight, book a bad hotel, or struggle to communicate with the locals with a country’s language barrier. The point is, anything can happen and even the journey of traveling takes blood, sweat, and tears to get to the destination.
Some travelers like to be spontaneous or plan a very well detailed itinerary. Either way, people who travel make it a point to get out of their comfort zone, making the uncomfortable comfortable. The entire experience teaches you to be patient and prepared for any kind of situation. The more experiences you get, the more you’re prepared for any kind of circumstance that comes in your way.
Discover More With Fine Feather Heads
Browse through Fine Feather Heads’ articles to discover the do’s and don’ts of traveling. We might even give you ideas on your next vacation! Life is too short for you to stay at home, scrolling through social media and seeing your friends travel to their heart’s content.
We strongly encourage everyone to stop dreaming and start planning. You can explore the unknown and find out something new yourself. Promise yourself right now to at least visit a place you’ve never been to before at least once a year. You won’t regret it!
Where would you like to go next?