A lot of these posts are about how to make the most of your time and money, living the life you want to live and seeing the world. It’s easy to get bogged down in financial calculations, seeing your possibilities in life bound up in the cash you can lock down before it flows out of your life. Travel can be seen as a luxury, something too pricey to consider now, something to put off until you’re rich and old. I’ve already showed you a lot of ways to perpetuate your life on the road, or as an expat, but I also think there a lot of intangible benefits to getting out of the little bubble of the place you live. Some of these can be monetized, but they start in a more deeply personal place that you never access if you stay home.
You break your personal boundaries. Most of the success you have in life isn’t determined by your intelligence, your looks, or where you come from. It’s about your confidence and imagination. It sounds cheesy to say, but if you believe in yourself, others will be much more likely to believe in you. By staying in your geographical comfort zone, you never have to step out of the routine. You don’t have to navigate foreign places, deal with language barriers, improvise if you get lost, or learn the confidence gained from simply dealing with the unexpected. When traveling, things never go as expected, and you’ll be a stronger person if you figure out how to push through these times, on your own in a foreign land.
You learn things. I make it a point to learn something everywhere I go. If I’m down south, I’m improving my golf game at Bird Golf Florida. If I’m in Berlin, I’m taking a class and finding people to converse with and improve my German. I would especially recommend learning a second language. The polyglot community crosses paths with the lovers of international travel quite a bit. Plus, translation and language teaching is a great way to help bring in cash when you’re away from home. Whatever you do, learn while you travel. It makes the trip a lot more exciting, and keeps you reaching outside of yourself.
You meet people. Travelers are the most interesting people in the world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. By putting yourself out there, you’ll meet people from around the world, with unique ideas and skill sets. Maybe you’ll meet someone to collaborate with on an idea you haven’t had yet. It’s all about possibilities. You can’t anticipate inspiration in advance, but by getting out of your routine, you set yourself up to experience it. Nothing changes your life more than important relationships that stretch and challenge you. You can’t talk to these people if you stay home; they already left their home town and went some place more exciting.
Travel is interesting like that. You plan and plan in the months leading up to your flight. And then once you get where you’re going, the way things actually turn out surprises you in a way that’s new each time. I have met some of my best friends and even a couple of business partners overseas. I have been able to experience things not available to me back home. I have been uniquely challenged by my experiences and I know I am not the same person I would have been, if I had just stayed home making money. Travel is expensive, but it’s also priceless. I urge you to take the plunge and go someplace you’ve never been.
