This post began with a simple prompt for my daily journal: what are the lessons that travel teaches you? More specifically, what are the attitudes that traveling subconsciously forces you to adopt that are beneficial no matter your location or situation?
1. Be Calm
When traveling, nothing happens as you expected it to. Meticulously planned itineraries get decimated when life simply gets in the way. In this respect, travel teaches you that in the face of the natural stressors of everyday life, the best response is to remain cool and collected. Next time you find yourself getting worked about something, remind yourself that most things that seem like unbearable anxieties today will eventually prove to be a laughing matter.
2. Be Creative
Traveling feeds the creative soul. It brings new cultures, astonishing sights, and unforgettable experiences into your life. Feeding off of these forces, it’s easy to tap into your creativity, whether you’re dealing with a challenging situation, working on solving a difficult problem in your work, or just bringing new art into the world.
3. Be a Citizen of The World
It’s easy to get wrapped up in “issues" that seem important based on news media coverage or your work. But chances are if you’re reading this, you have access to the internet, clean water, and healthcare. Meanwhile, billions of people around the world lack these basic necessities. When you begin to transform your thoughts from worrying about the next “crisis” at work to all the amazing things you can be grateful for, you become compassionate towards those who are less fortunate. Travel has taught me to act on that compassion by doing something everyday that has a positive impact on the world we live in.
4. Be Childlike
In today’s world, the word childlike has a negative connotation. But a healthy dose of childlike activities can actually do wonders for your mental well-being. So go ahead, act like a child. Be silly. Have fun everyday. Engage new concepts and new people with endless curiosity. Which brings me to the next point...
5. Be Curious
Travel exposes you to people from all walks of life. Whether long-term travelers or locals, everyone has a story to tell and something valuable to teach you. If you open your ears and mind to these experiences, they can prove transformative.