I aim to convince you, in this article, to go backpacking (or at least to travel and see the world!). There are a number of reasons why people should travel, it opens up the world to you, especially as an older teenager or young adult, I believe traveling is vital as part of the maturity process. Let’s discuss.
Cultural Experiences
There is nothing to help you become more ‘worldly’ then to truly see how other cultures and people of different environments live their lives. There is watching it on television, and there’s seeing and discovering it for yourself. Guess which one is more impressionable?
You guessed it, the real thing. There are so many wildly different cultures in the world to experience, and travelling opens them up to you. Of course, people are still people, no matter where you go. You get kind ones, happy ones, rude ones and cruel ones in every culture and every country. But seeing the world gives you another aspect completely, how do other cultures view YOUR culture? What does it look like on the flip-side, through the magic mirror so to speak.
Meeting New People
Making new friends and meeting new people is at the core of every backpacker and traveler, and in reality it’s almost inevitable that it will happen when you’re adventuring and staying in hostels. I’ve made friends on my travels that I’m still in touch with, and truly, it is one of the greatest things about it.
So, don’t be shy, get out there, backpack and meet new people and just have fun seeing the world!
Broadening The Mind
It’s such a smarmy term: ‘to broaden the mind’. I guess what I mean here is that it’s easy to become a bit closed off if you never adventure and see how other people live around the world. Travelling will help you develop a vastly open mind for other cultures, people and experiences. This is an important step and aspect of maturity, and I think every young adult should travel and broaden their minds.
Expanding Your Skill Set
I hear what you’re thinking, ‘my skill set is just fine, thanks!’. But for so many young adults, backpacking will teach them a plethora of organizational skills and provide them with a confidence boost. They have to manage their own affairs on the road, and pack their packs every day. Who’s going to wash their clothes and cook their dinner? It’s a sudden shift in total responsibility for yourself and your own belongings, and backpacking without a doubt will expand anyone’s skill set.
This was a guest post from Tom at Active Backpacker - a website all about backpacking through Europe and beyond, as well as providing useful tips, guides, advice and more.
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