Whether it’s visiting my aging grandmother in Ethiopia or walking through the ancient city of Ouro Preto, traveling has opened my eyes to new realities and experiences. Below are seven reasons why you need to make traveling a priority.
Growing in Faith
I love traveling because it has enabled me to grow in my faith. As most of my travels have been away from family and friends, I have grown more dependent on God through traveling. Living abroad has also made me grow more connected to those that share my Christian faith. For example, when I was studying abroad in the Netherlands, I stumbled upon a local church offering the Alpha course, an evangelistic course which introduces the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions. Traveling provides an opportunity to nourish our faith journey. It also has the potential to connect us to others around the globe seeking to grow in their faith.
Gain New Perspectives
Traveling has a tremendous capacity to expand your thinking. As I travel through cities like Ouro Preto and Rio de Janeiro, I gain new perspectives on living life to the fullest. People in these places remind me to value hospitality, to live slowly and to enjoy the wonders of nature. As you voyage through the clouds, you begin to realize how big and small the world is at the same time – small enough to connect humanity through simple acts like a smile and big enough to realize that abundance and poverty are truly felt realities. Traveling provides new perspectives and these new insights have the dynamic power to transform the way we live.
Embark on Adventures
Since making traveling a priority, I have faced and conquered many of my fears. Upon moving to Brazil, I decided to conquer my fear of heights through hiking. Every hike felt like a journey to bring out a better version of myself. When we make traveling a priority, we make room for risks. And risks have the capacity to produce a better version of ourselves.
Experience Cultures
One of the biggest reasons you should prioritize traveling is to experience new cultures. My favorite places to travel are often in rural areas. Although language can sometimes be a barrier traveling in remote regions of the world, learning a new language facilitates your entry and experiences of new cultures. I love rural areas because culture seems to preserved, untouched by the winds of westernization and development. The food is seasoned with sacred and ancient spices. The music is filled with indigenous tunes that sing of the past.
Culture opens the door to the hearts and minds of people and these remain the best destinations to explore.
Related Post: 9 Creative Ways to Learn a New Language
Make Connections
The greatest gift traveling has given me is friendship. I have made so many new friends through my travel adventures. These friendships color my world with ideas, new experiences and divine gifts that bless my life continuously. When you say yes to travel, you say yes to new relationships. These relationships open the door for new kinds of travel and experiences that unlock new levels of learning and joy.
Break from the Old
While I strive to be content where I am, I often feel the need to also take a break from my current realities. Making travel a priority allows me to do just that. Traveling enables us to momentarily let go of the familiar and strive toward the unknown. When the familiar is stripped away, we often see and hear things more clearly. The experiences we have in unfamiliar grounds challenge our relationship with the past. They often stir more gratitude for what we have and challenge us to make needed revisions where we are.
Dream Bigger
Traveling is a high priority for me because it fuels my dreams. I have written more poems and songs while traveling as new places fuel my creativity. The heartbeat of creativity is new encounters. Whether that is an encounter with a new recipe or new sounds of music, traveling is key to an expanded imagination and joyful creation.
Convinced to make traveling a priority in your life journey? Then you need to check-out this post on simple ways to maximize your time abroad.
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