Recently, a woman named Cassandra Le wrote an article for Huffington Post entitled “Stop Asking When I’m Going to Join The Adult World.” Le tells about how she decided to teach English abroad in Spain after she graduated college instead of finding a full-time job in the States.
Although some people wonder when she is going to get on with “real life” back in the States, Le knows that she already is living a real life; she wakes up every day with responsibilities and obligations, she has bills to pay, and she has a desire to create more of a life abroad.
Le’s article sheds some light on the sometimes forbidden topic of traveling or working abroad instead of finding a full-time job in the States. It’s important to remember that travel isn’t just flying, eating new foods, and bringing home souvenirs. Traveling can teach you different things about yourself, and it can also be a way to heal.
Here are a few reasons why traveling is something to consider:
- Traveling changes the way you relate to others. Traveling often shows you how other people live. It lets you learn about other cultures and their priorities and how their lives differ from your own. When writer Sarah Hansen traveled, she developed friendships with people who weren’t like her; they were people she never would have met or talked to if it weren’t for being immersed in a different culture. “This taught me to embrace, not fear, experiences and relationships that were outside my comfort zone,” she says. “It also taught me the importance of communication skills.”
- Life is more than work. It’s easy to get comfortable in the day-to-day routines we create for ourselves. In the process of building our lives, we often forget that there is so much more than a busy life of work. Having a life outside of work is key to happy living. This doesn’t mean you have to travel to a new country in order to break away. It might just mean exploring your city or taking a weekend cruise to the next state over to see some new landscape.
- Education. Education doesn’t stop after you leave school; at least, it shouldn’t. Air Trek suggests that seeing the country or the world provides a source of education that you can’t get in school.
- To grow. Life is stressful, and for some people, it can be depressing. Traveling, whether it be to a new restaurant, a new city, or a new country, can be a nice getaway from the everyday grind. A change in scenery can do a lot for your health; if you are traveling with someone else, it can help renew your love for each other.
Some people say you only live once, and it’s doubtful that your last thought will be, “I wish I’d taken fewer vacations.” It’s a wonderful world out there—go see for yourself.
If you’d like to set up a time to meet up with Reka, you can contact her by phone at 402-881-8125, by email at reka@omaha-counseling.com, or via Twitter or Facebook.
—
photo credit: Wing and sunset via photopin (license)
