Why You Should be Traveling Right Now!
I am a huge advocate for travel. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: travel is the secret to world peace. If everyone would cross a few borders and learn a little about a different culture, we would all be so much better off. I promise.
So you should be unsurprised that I’m going to rattle off a bunch of reasons why you should be traveling right now. Some of these are reasons you should be traveling literally right now. Like….get in the car and go RIGHT NOW. But some of these are also reasons you should be traveling right now as in during this season of your life. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to tell the two apart.
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Good deals
If you’re one of those people who is willing or able to just take off for an impromptu trip, I would definitely recommend it. There are all kinds of sites dedicated to flash deals or extremely discounted trips/hotel stays on one condition: that you can pack up and go right now. Oftentimes, if hotels/airlines/trip services don’t fully book their respective service, they will put up the remaining spots at a deep discount right before departure. This means you need to be ready to go at the drop of a hat. But if you’ve got a long weekend and no preconceived notions, you could stumble into some really cool, cheap trips!
I would recommend Hotel Tonight for last-minute hotel reservations. There are also all kinds of Facebook groups dedicated to these good deals, such as I Know the Pilot. And for a little more advance notice, check out Groupon for more great deals. The travel deals on Groupon often include airfare and hotel expenses which is awesome. Utilize multiple sites or groups to grab some amazing deals, and enjoy your impromptu trip!
It’s easier when you’re young
Ask almost any adult what they wish they had done when they were younger. Nearly everyone I’ve ever asked wishes they had traveled more while they were young. The fact of the matter is that it’s just easier to travel while you’re young. As millennials, many of us are still unmarried with no kids and unsteady jobs (ah, the joys of today’s job market). Obviously, this makes it much easier to travel more.
And even if you’re married or have a kid, there’s a good chance it’s still easier to travel now as opposed to waiting until you’re older. If you don’t own a house, there’s no mortgage. If you’re driving a car you bought fresh out of college, the payments are coming to an end. There’s truly no time like the present. Go and see and do while you can! Wouldn’t it be better to stretch yourself and do it now than wait and regret it when you’re 65? (The answer is yes).
Stuff is disappearing
Not to be the Debbie Downer but there are literally parts of the world that are disappearing and you should go see them now! Just a few weeks ago, the iconic Azure Window in Malta collapsed into the sea. And there are tons more places that are slowly slipping away. Iconic places like the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal are disintegrating thanks to erosion. Glaciers are melting. The Great Barrier Reef has suffered damage that has led to its corals turning white – up to 93% of the reef has been affected! And the romantic city of Venice, Italy that everyone is so crazy about? It’s sinking.
So while I’m not trying to depress you, I am trying to motivate you to go see this stuff! If you don’t go see them now, they will literally disappear.
A fresh perspective for you…
Without getting too political, let’s just all agree that our country is a little scary right now. It seems that every time we turn around, there is division. And it’s also no secret that other countries aren’t exactly fond of us right now. So you know what you should do? Go travel! This serves two purposes (well, actually, traveling serves like a million purposes but that’s another article).
First of all, your faith in humanity will totally be restored. There are amazing people everywhere! I know the news makes it sound like every foreign country is scary and that you’ll get pickpocketed or attacked or targeted. That’s simply not true. You will find all kinds of people who are positively overflowing with hospitality. Try out the dive bars, the hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and the small-town bed and breakfasts. That’s where the amazing people hang out! If you treat people with kindness and respect, it will be returned to you tenfold. Travel to gain a fresh perspective on other people!
and for them…
Second of all, traveling can also help dispel the stereotype that Americans are entitled, loud, and arrogant. Once again, go out and see the world and treat people with abundant kindness. They will see that not all Americans are the rude ones that they (unfortunately) so often encounter. So while you’re traveling and gaining fresh perspectives about other people, they will also gain a fresh perspective about you and other Americans! The short story here is that traveling will broaden your worldview which can only be a positive thing!
I could go on and on about reasons why you should travel right now. If you don’t consider yourself much of a traveler, just take the first leap! You will get totally addicted. Once you experience the awe of immersing yourself into another culture, you’ll understand what I mean. And trust me when I say that there is no better time than now. You’ll broaden perspectives of both yourself and others. You’ll see things that your children or your children’s children will only read about in books. And you’ll probably score some pretty great deals, too! Now get going!
Would you consider yourself a traveler? What’s your reason for traveling right now? Let us know in the comments below!
Resources: Hotel Tonight, I Know the Pilot, Groupon
