10 Reasons To Travel While You're Young

There is no time like youth. You have no money, which means very little responsibility. And this is what keeps you completely free. Freedom to roam wherever you want, whenever you want. Your memorable trips are nothing but a sort of small investments to bank the best of the best memories. Travelling is good for our physical as well as mental health. There is no harm to plan an excellent trip at any age. But, life is too short when the world is wide. So traveling at a young age can make you enjoy more fun-filled trips.

People plan out various things so that nothing gets wrong. Some love to travel with their friends or family while others have no issue in traveling alone to explore the world. Especially if you have planned a long trip, you need to pack your everyday use accessories in bags, suitcases or backpacks. This ensures safe travel unless you reach the destination.

If you are motivated enough from your childhood after seeing your friends Instagram posts from foreign destinations or after reading some of the best travel quotes online, first make travel a priority. Understand that frequent travel often requires spending less time with good friends and family, learning to live with fewer possessions and greater flexibility, and being comfortable with difference. It also comes with infinite rewards and a tremendous amount of personal growth, creativity, adventure, and joy.

Loads of young people who have just graduated high school or university take time to roam the world and find themselves before starting their career. Individuals in this group are often traveling on a big budget. Their life includes bouncing from hostel to hostel in Europe and Southeast Asia, eating cheap meals, taking long bus rides, and drinking copious amounts of beer.

This is a great way to travel before the responsibilities of adulthood hit. You can meet plenty of others on the same journey and do this even on a tight budget. Have you often heard that traveling in your 20s is incredibly exciting?

No matter at what point you are in your life, after adulthood, it feels like the best moments have already gone. The best version of you has already remained in the past. You might be more refined now, more mature, maybe learnt many things with time - but sometimes, don't we all regret having reached so far while leaving parts of us behind on the way; and we know we don't really have an option of taking a detour and collecting them.

The most we can do, is preserve them as memories; and that's the thing about good memories, you can rarely ever beat them with anything you have in the present. That is, know that each moment that you are living right now will keep becoming your past by every passing second.

Know, that at some point in the future, you will look back and yearn for this. Know, that these are the memories you are creating and live like that. Do not live for the present, live for the fact that the present keeps becoming your past, and that is an inevitable process.

Reasons to travel while you're young

Which is the best age to prefer traveling?

Even if your pockets are a little less full, we advise you to travel when young. Old age is never guaranteed to anyone. Who has seen tomorrow? Reading this article will enlighten you with the need and benefits associated with the fun associated with traveling at a young age.

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1. Traveling young can change your perspective


Traveling, especially to other countries help you in getting more exposure. In your thirties, you must have already developed a certain level of maturity and had had enough life experiences that will help to significantly enrich your travels. Being more mature, you will be able to appreciate at a deeper level other cultures, historical sites, the beauty of nature, and more.

Lots of millennials and young ones easily get frustrated over small things. This is because they lack the varied perspectives towards looking at the same thing. We cannot deny the fact that traveling sometimes puts you in tough situations. However, we guarantee that traveling young will enable you to see that the world is so much bigger than your perspective on it.

Likewise, it teaches you to change your perspective towards many things. Traveling young will calm you down and make you more mature. You will realize that the world is not a small thing that keeps revolving around you. You will grow your tolerance power towards non-existent and self-created issues. You will understand that you are just a tiny minnow in a pothole and not a really big shark in the ocean.

In many cities, a refreshing breath of modern architecture will allow you to perfectly match the contemporary and the historical places. People go to see historical monuments to tell their story to others. Tourists spend time in the history museums to find out about the history of their country. Tours also feature interesting shopping and dining experiences.

People want to travel because they love to experience the culture and enjoy a wonderful vacation. Once you get to the hotel you will see plenty of solo travelers who are in the same boat. You can also find like-minded people. You will experience the thrill in discovering new people, culture, language, and much more.

Well, sometimes you will feel awkward for the first few days or hours in your solo trip. If you have never watch a movie all by yourself or have never eaten alone in a fancy restaurants. Try them out to feel the level of awkwardness, just to check whether you are ok with being solo or not. It's a popular saying that a long stretch of road can teach you much more than a hundred years of quietness.

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What to Expect from Solo travel?

2. Traveling young seldom asks for financial burdens


Young people enjoy more financial freedom than adults and elders in the family. They are not wrapped up in any mortgage that demands a constant flow of income to pay installments. And, if you are a student, perhaps you are not responsible to pay rent and other utility bills. So it is easy for you to do budget planning and figure out where to cut down costs and gather traveling funds.

If you get a good deal on airfare, you can save money and you can get the vacation that you want. Not everyone gets to travel to each location in a year, so there are many times when vacation planning is in high demand. The most popular way to travel is by plane. It is not a problem to get from one place to another because you can take any means of transportation. You don't need to travel by train, and you can also be able to get to other places by car.

The air travel has become so much better than what it was in the past. It used to be hard to fly, and it took quite a while to get to different parts of the world. Now everything is done online and people can get to any place very quickly.

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3. Travel when you are not full of core responsibilities


At a young age, you have a limited set of responsibilities. You can easily take time out of your school or work. There are more job opportunities in the market, especially if you have to leave your job for going on a month-long vacation. So, there are fewer worries and more opportunities associated with traveling at a young age.

Traveling helps you to handle the issues with more patience and sophistication. It makes you mentally resilient by accepting the situations calmly. When you peregrinate on your own, you are definitely more flexible with time, next destination and decisions you make. You are free to change your plans whenever you want to. You can do whatever you wish to do. Moreover, you can be completely selfish.

Growing up, freedom is something we look forward to and traveling unescorted is an obvious key to achieving that. It's like the perfect ticket to independence. Traveling on your own lets you create your own schedule and live by your own rules. The obligation of the following someone is off your shoulders and without the restrictions imposed by another person's presence, you can do things at your own comfortable pace.

If this doesn't sound like heaven, then what does! So isn't this the freedom you longed for? Then go get it by taking your first flight off!

You get the chance to explore this world. Eventually, you will see that everybody is different. When you listen their stories and experiences, you will be amazed. How people are living and surviving with great difficulties. And you feel a sense of gratitude for your life. All of a sudden your own problems become tiny.

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4. Travel young to increase exposure to varied cultures


When you travel a lot, you get to learn a lot more about various cultures. As and when we grow older, we tend to become biased about the culture we live in. but, if you have visited a lot many places at a young age and have got to know various cultures across the globe, you become flexible and adaptable to universal culture and customs.

Some are famous for food, while others for clothing and ornaments etc. Purchasing various souvenirs reminds you of the place even when you have gone back. Gifting these specialties to your loved ones adds to your joy and happiness.

Multiple studies have been made to conclude the relation between creativity and international travel. It was found that traveling stimulates your creativity. As you interact with people of other cultures it improves your creativity and problem-solving skills. As you get back to work you become more motivated and your productive skills improve.

Going out of your local environment and visiting fascinating places helps you to improve your creativity. It makes you interact with nature. There are various places to visit like beaches, mountains, waterfalls, seas, and islands. It enhances your cognitive flexibility and makes you more creative.

And, this helps you in your overall personal growth. You step out of your comfort zone and embrace new challenges. You make new friends. The coolest thing about international travel is making new friends and relationships that will change your life.

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5. Traveling young helps you embrace new challenges


In order to meaningfully relate to the new experiences, one must have a solid template on which to deposit, make sense of and assimilate it them. A 20-year-old, who is still forming this template of understanding the world, will miss many things that a 30-something will not.

Without having a solid context in which to place the new experiences and make sense of the world, such as knowing a bit about modern history, economics, politics, foreign customs, etc., many travel experiences will remain undecipherable or even mute.

Travel teaches you the importance of communication skills. You get exposed to multiple languages. Travelling is one of the best ways to find yourself. You come across many challenges and gradually overcome them too. This way it empowers you to embrace challenges that you have never faced before.

Travelling makes it easy for you to adopt changes by going out of your comfort zone. It let you interact with people of different races. Sometimes you have to face some issues while traveling. May be your luggage gets misplaced or you might be unable to locate your hotel.

Travelling has such an ability to expand your mind which is not possible by other sources. It helps you to know which places attract you the most. Studies prove that solo trips have the greatest recreational factor. There is no stress around and you feel alive. You start to listen to your heart and finally achieve the ultimate peace of mind. You can experience more new things than you would when traveling with someone. It will bring out the creative person in you.

When you find yourself with a group of new friends, go for it. When a friend from home is in the same city as you are, go for it. But by no means should you go out getting wasted on your own and attempt to make it home safe after a night of heavy partying in a foreign city. It just won’t end well.

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6. Learning and transformation


At the same time, at this age you are still very young and are more likely to be enthusiastic, curious to learn, eager to interact with locals and experiment by delving into new and foreign experiences. You are also more open to allow the new to transform your being. Young travelers tend to be more impressionable (in a good sense), and more open to accepting strange foreign customs and behaviors that contradict their own than older people who may feel jaded by travels or do not easily change their formed prejudices.

More than once you asked yourself if you have this wanderlust spirit and what it means. Today we will explain what it is, who can be considered wanderlust and if it only circumscribes at a specific age (the millennial generation specifically).

According to Wikipedia, wanderlust means the unstoppable desire to roam, travel or explore the world. It comes from the German word wander and lust. It is the combination of a part of a German word and a word in English. You will gain the courage to face new challenges. You will deal with problems and find solutions yourself. The more you travel, the less you fear. Being on your own on the road will help you gain valuable skills and turn you into a more confident person.

When it comes to travel, we tend to think that eco-friendly just equals wilderness, but more and more urban destinations have put in place rigorous sustainable practices. And these practices affect large numbers of people thus amplifying their effects. So when you travel sustainably, you can also choose to visit these cities and maybe be inspired to learn from them and bring ideas back home!

These cities are at the forefront of sustainability. Definitely worth a visit to enjoy their cultures while learning valuable lessons to bring back home.

7. Enhance your cultural sensitivity


Each country has its own culture and festivals. So whether sitting at home talking about the carnival of Brazil or Holi of India doesn’t make you cool instead of taking part, it will feel like you’re one of them, it helps you to understand the issue and conflicts. Cultural experiences through travel will help you with your communication on both business and personal levels.

Travelling brings happiness. Travelling the world is the communication with the people of every country. Travelling doesn't discriminate, it only says, we all are travelers and we all are human-living objects. In travelling, you can taste varieties of food, you can see many things, mountains to oceans, lakes to rivers, dense forests to deserts, not only that you can use all kind of transports.

Travelling gives you the opportunity to share your ideas, and to listen other’s ideas which brings the confidence in your. The very much realistic way to visit all the countries in the world is to satisfy your curiosity to understand the people, culture, religion, philosophy, language and their literature with as much as you can.

The most beautiful way to travel all countries in the world is to create the memories because memories are so beautiful that you can live your rest of life with those beautiful memories. Very few and countable people have traveled all the countries in the world because it is hard, risky and take a long time. The best realistic cause of travel the world is to make oneself strong, assertive, firm, honest and obedient.

Travelling brings the great endurance power and little knowledge in every subject as you become the jack of all but master of none. Above all travelling makes you very healthy and clean because you walk every day and you follow like a water continuously.

8. Build your self-confidence


Being away from your parents and all other adult figures in your life allow you to be an adult figure yourself! You make the plans, you make a decision, you go where you want and many things. Being on the road continuously is physically demanding. Walking, hiking, carrying your belongings is a constant daily part of of life. This becomes more challenging later in life. In the mid-30’s one has the best of both worlds: youthful vigor and maturity.

Not everywhere in the world is going to be safe for a solo female traveler, so you have to pick your destination carefully.

The majority of destinations would be safe for solo travelers. Destinations like The Maldives, which can be done on a budget, are little slices of heaven. Perfect for getting some ‘me time,’ learning yoga, adventures like scuba diving, and feeling safe. Do your research before you pick a destination, so you know it’s going to be okay as a female traveling on your own.

When you’re traveling alone, one of the best pieces of advice is to trust your gut instinct. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right. Humans are born with a really keen intuition, and we tend to know if something is too good to be true. If someone is offering you cheap drinks in a rundown looking bar, there’s probably a reason for that.

If you meet a stranger and they seem a bit too friendly, perhaps there’s a reason for that too. Not everyone is out to get you, but definitely keep your wits about you and trust your gut.

9. Embrace this time in your life


But most important of all don’t be scared, the world is inherently a good place (just with a few bad people in it). It’s important not to let fear get the better of you and prevent you from traveling solo because this is just as important a time in your life as others will be – marriage, family, a house, etc. if you see those in your future.

Being able to stand on your own two feet as an independent woman is JUST as important as other times in your life. Don’t be put off by what others around you are doing – settling down, starting a family, getting married. Those can wait. This time in your life is about you – and you will be a much stronger, more independent person because of it.

In a solo trip, nobody has any idea about the kind of person you are - you will have to experience this to fully understand how liberating this can be. You will feel liberated and free. You have no pressure, you can be who you want to be. You can be the girl silently sitting in a corner with a book or may the someone bubbling with energy who can't wait to start a conversation.

Positive vibes. When you decide to travel alone, your fearful attitude about the world being a dangerous place automatically takes a backseat. Since, You go to a surrounding different than where you live daily. And you wander, you become less suspicious of those who look different than you. At times, you form even stronger bonds than those who look like you.

So when you don't know anybody and start fresh connections you will be 'you' and that's when you truly understand who "you" really are.

From learning to navigating in an unknown place and cracking hacks, to understanding basic words of a new language and organizing skills you will grasp a lot. Self-acceptance and making peace with yourself is one of the most important insights you will receive. You will also learn to take great pictures of yourself using timers, tripods, GoPro, taking help from strangers and what not.

You may ask how. And the answer is so simple that you already know it. When you see that people across every nation are just like you, they are humans and nationalities, religions, race, cast creed, you will realize that there is no place for hate.

When you encounter acts of kindness from strangers when you share a meal with a family that you don't belong to that's when you will realize how wrong you were when you judge someone by their appearance or what they wear and when you feel compassionate for a community which is not in your hometown. You regain immense faith in Humanity and you become a better person. You become more empathetic and less judgmental.

And yes in between all this you will have a lot of fun.

10. Love on the road - follow your heart


There’s someone out there for everyone. Nobody is so quirky, special or weird that they’re destined to be alone forever. Did the universe make it easy for everyone? No. In the cosmic lottery some couples were spread far and wide. Different cities, countries or continents... races, colours and creeds.

Some are lucky to be born within a stone’s throw from their soulmate. They grow up together, enjoy the best years of their lives side by side and grow old and grey, never losing sight of their loved one. Others spend a lifetime searching and meet only in their twilight years. My belief though, is that the ones who find true love are the ones who believe in it - the ones who never give up and never settle for okay.

When you travel you’re free. You’re uninhibited and able to explore sides of your personality not possible in some home settings. Travel can also be lonely, so with the promise of intimacy and human contact relationships can blossom overnight.

The solo travel blues are inevitable at some point in your journey if you are traveling long term. What’s great news, however, is that they’re not the end of the world. After a while you learn to deal with your emotions and know what to do and how to cope when you’re feeling homesick, missing the company of another, or simply tired of your own thoughts. This is all part of the challenge you accept when you set off on your journey.

Travel relationships are like the night sky - a billion bright lights winking in and out of existence. Most are destined to come and go, relegated to digital memories on forgotten memory cards. Others survive the initial honeymoon period, only to be choked out by distance and fading desire.

But when they last? When you stop at nothing to make them succeed, enduring time, distance and hardships? When you up-end your entire life because ‘you just know’... that’s a special feeling indeed. It helps you to concentrate on your own thoughts. You will focus much better and enjoy the experience. You will live and feel now. In fact, it will bring you back to the center. Being alone on the road is also a great way to connect with your higher self spiritually and enhance the relationship with yourself.

Over to You - what is your preferred age for travelling?

Don’t let aging spoil the fun of your travel dreams. They say life begins at 40, but for all travel enthusiasts, life begins since birth. Take an example of Mr. X and Y. Mr. X is young with limited financial funds and Mr. Y is filthy rich but aging has a great impact on his health. There will be enough time for Mr.X to earn money since he is in his young age.

But, there are little (or nil) chances for Mr.Y to enjoy long trips and traveling because aging is having a huge impact on his health. In this scenario, according to you, who is eligible to plan travel, and why? This eventually answers that you should be traveling young to have more fun. Pack your backpack and get started.

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Kalyan Panja