Traveling As a Hobby
People choose to travel for many reasons: vacation, research, visiting friends and family, mission trips, exchange programs, volunteer expeditions, and work are among the most common. With remote work options abounding these days, many are even choosing to combine what might have once been a hobby or luxury into everyday life. Some workers are moving to new locales for a month, season or even a year or two.
Traveling, whether for work or pleasure, opens a series of experiences that challenge yourself, broaden your mind, and create opportunities for people to collaborate. Giving travel a chance, whether for a camping trip nearby with friends or for a solo multi-country exchange program, is sure to bring you heightened awareness and an array of opportunities.
Meeting new people
When you’re traveling, in your home country or abroad, you’ll have the chance to meet new people. This can be exciting or intimidating, depending on the situation and the personalities of those involved. I often travel alone but join up with groups on walking tours or for classes. This helps me connect in a new place and quite possibly make some new friends. At first, I found it a bit daunting, especially on longer trips but traveling solo for work helped me get more comfortable dining alone, adjusting to public transit, using different currencies, etc. Soon, I wanted to go on personal adventures alone as well.
Now, many of my friends are across the globe because I travel so frequently. I am proactive in reaching out and social media sites as well as apps aid in making it easier to stay connected regardless of where you call “home.”
Participatory Learning
One of the many benefits of traveling is learning about new cultures and ways of life. It is an excellent way to expand your mind and improve your communication skills. It also can help reinforce materials you have read or studied and enhance your knowledge of history in a real-world setting.
Traveling is a great way to discover different cultures and learn more about the people that live there. You can see famous landmarks, participate in traditional festivals, eat local cuisine, and practice another language. If outside of your home country, travel can help you develop your global mindset. You might find similarities among various cultures. In addition to new knowledge, travel can increase your personal growth and build confidence.
A range of other skills are learned while traveling, like how to best manage your time and finances and even how to negotiate. Learning abounds whether you are visiting relatives or attending a conference for your job.
Harness the Memories
It may be a good idea to create a scrapbook of memories or journal about your trip. If you’re looking for a more digital approach, you could create an online album or start a YouTube channel documenting your adventures. The possibilities are endless. Sharing your experiences not only helps you to recall memorable details of your trip but can also be encouraging to others looking to travel in the future. I have learned to start writing down favorite spots because it is quite common for my friends to ask where I stayed, what my favorite restaurant was, or what activity I enjoyed most.
Keeps life exciting
Taking a trip can be a great way to escape doldrums, gain new insights, and rejuvenate your mind. It can also increase your self-esteem and awareness. As you travel, you will also see how different people live and treat each other. By visiting different places you expand your knowledge of so many things we may even take for granted.
Travel also provides opportunities to try new things. I don’t know about you, but sometimes it is hard to change it up when I am at home. I may try a new restaurant that opens or take in a show, but when I travel everything around me seems new. My senses are heightened, and I am eager to see what is around the next corner.