Travel has a way of changing you forever. Mad Mischief is the story of a woman who is changed forever by her journey through Africa. Many have shared how their lives completely transformed from a venture into the wide world.
Here are a few ways that these journeys engender such dynamic change.
1. You realize how small you are. Rightly or wrongly we all grow up with preconceived notions about what people from certain countries are like. Actually being in a foreign country and immersing yourself in their culture their day to day lives how they relate to their families and their community can open your mind wide to world views you may have never even imagined existed. It will give you perspective on your own ingrained beliefs. Especially it will help you realize how small your life is compared to the vast world.
2. You realize how beautiful the world is. We can’t really get to know a place until we see if first hand. We get so very very little of what’s happening in the world from the news and media, but when we see other countries up close, we can get a very different eye view than from what is normally fed to us on the TV or social media. Traveling in developing countries can make you particularly appreciate what is truly meaningful in life and removes most external influences that caused us to make decisions in our lives back home: jobs, relationships, rent costs, image, ads, television, etc. When you’re in places where nobody wears designer anything, a $3 dorm room is perfectly normal, and street food is a favorite staple, even for those who also come from a corporate background, the B.S. is removed and people can be who they want to be.
People say that traveling makes them into a new person, but I believe it just allows them to be who they’ve always been. Maybe that’s someone who freely enjoys excess, turns into a Buddhist, devotes his/her life to helping others, or a whole host of other lifestyles.
3. You realize how easy it is to travel. Many people wait for years to travel thinking they need a certain amount of money. Only to find that once they discover there were that there are a multitude of countries that cost far less than life in the United States. They realize their money will go much further. There are also many jobs that can afford you the travel experience. Travel writing, cruise ship jobs, even certain PA jobs can give you access to travel opportunities. Always be open to possibilities..you never know what can work out for you!
There are even more ways travel can change you, look for future blogs on this theme to come!