After college my buddy Michael Volitich and I went for a wonderful 3 month tour throughout Europe and although I came back afterwards, my good friend is still traveling around the world. I spoke to him recently about what inspires him to travel and what he loves so much about it, and we got to discussing the positive effects of travel. Indeed my friend believes that traveling is not just fun, but also that it is good for your soul, and here is why.
Rounded Character
When you travel you open your eyes to new cultures and ways of life, which can greatly help you to become a more rounded person. When you discover how other people live in various countries around the world you become far better at forming opinions about what is and what isn’t important in life. Traveling also opens your eyes to just how many people there are in the world and how the ‘bubble’ which many of us live in back at home, is in fact very small indeed.
Health Benefits
Science has proven that those who love to travel will live longer and that most will be in far better shape than those who don’t. The immediate health benefits are as a result of so much moving and the abundance of activities which you are likely to take part in. Men and women who travel are also less likely to get sick because of the fact that they are opening their body up to a huge number of foreign bacterias, the immune system then builds up defenses to such bacterias which enables a traveler to stay healthy for longer.
More Empathy
It can be very easy to sit at home watching television and see the plight of many who suffer around the world, but this sadness will quickly subside as one lives their daily life. When you travel to somewhere where there are social or economic problems however, you can see first hand the damage that this is dong to people. When you witness this first hand you will feel a great deal differently about it than when you watch the television, and in doing so your empathy will change very much.
Outside the Bubble
As aforementioned many people liven a small bubble in their lives, where they work and socialize. When you travel however you step right outside of this bubble and you get a chance to not only see the lives of others, but also reflect upon your own life.
Happiness
When you set eyes upon some of the wonderful things in this world it really increases your levels of happiness. Witnessing Niagara Falls, Machu Picchu, the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal for example fill you with real joy and this is what makes your soul that much more happier.
Travel is great for your soul, why not go an feed it?