{"id":32289,"date":"2015-04-10T21:47:21","date_gmt":"2015-04-11T05:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=32289"},"modified":"2015-04-13T20:35:38","modified_gmt":"2015-04-14T04:35:38","slug":"4-ways-traveling-world-makes-better-person","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/4-ways-traveling-world-makes-better-person\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways Traveling the World Makes You a Better Person"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this blog, you\u2019ve probably tried a host of self-improvement strategies. Meditating<\/a>, exercising<\/a>, journaling<\/a>\u2026 but what about traveling?<\/p>\n

Did you know traveling can lead to great things?<\/p>\n

Personally, it\u2019s been the most influential factor in my life. I\u2019ve been traveling around the world since 2008, and without a doubt, my experiences have made me a better person. (And not only that — they\u2019ve also been incredibly fun and rewarding.)<\/p>\n

Though you probably don\u2019t need an excuse to travel, I\u2019ll give you a few anyway. Here are four ways traveling the world makes you a better person:<\/p>\n

1. Travel teaches patience<\/h2>\n

\u201cPatience is bitter but its fruit is sweet.\u201d ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau<\/p>\n

Waiting in line for a museum or flight. Enduring a long bus ride. Dealing with persistent touts. What do these experiences have in common? They\u2019re all familiar to frequent travelers — and they all require patience to manage. When you travel, you quickly learn you can either allow these issues to frustrate you, or you can take them in stride; the end result is the same. So, you learn to be patient<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019ve spent five hours waiting at the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica<\/a>, sitting in traffic for a few minutes doesn\u2019t faze me. Because I\u2019ve had to brush off an endless stream of inappropriate remarks from Turkish salesmen, the occasional catcall doesn\u2019t upset me. Travel has strengthened my patience muscle like nothing else has.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Travel makes you grateful<\/h2>\n

\u201cGratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough.\u201d ~ Melody Beattie<\/p>\n

Nothing makes you appreciate where you\u2019re from — or what you have — like traveling does. It could be as simple as missing your favorite brand of peanut butter, or as profound as realizing you grew up in incredible comfort compared to many people. Gratitude is a powerful emotion<\/a>, and practicing it can have a deeply positive impact on your life.<\/p>\n

A few years ago, I spent three months volunteering at an elementary school in Nicaragua<\/a>. The children there had very little in terms of physical possessions, but an abundance of smiles and positivity. Seeing how they could be satisfied with so little made me more appreciative of what I have in my life — which, in turn, has brightened the lives of those around me.<\/p>\n

3. Travel leads to self-reflection<\/h2>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.\u201d ~ Howard Thurman<\/p>\n

We are at our best when living up to our full potential<\/a>, and travel often reveals just what that potential looks like. You can be whoever you want to be when you\u2019re traveling — which is often what helps you figure out who you really are. Maybe you realize your partner isn\u2019t the right person for you; maybe you realize your true calling is to become a yoga teacher.<\/p>\n

When I look back on it, many of my life-changing moments have occurred on the road. It was while volunteering in East Africa in 2005 that I realized I wanted travel to be the focal point of my life; it was while teaching English in South Korea (and writing a blog about my experience) that I realized I was a writer; it was while taking a long solo road trip down the east coast that I realized I needed to end a long-term relationship. Living a life true to myself has undoubtedly made me a better person.<\/p>\n

4. Travel opens your mind<\/h2>\n

\u201cTravel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.\u201d ~ Mark Twain<\/p>\n

Making assumptions is easy; understanding and appreciating our differences is hard. One of the best ways to learn about other people and places is by visiting, connecting, and experiencing them yourself. Immersing yourself in a new culture will allow you to not only discover the qualities you share, but also to appreciate the areas in which you differ.<\/p>\n

I grew up in a homogenous small town of 2,500 people. If I never traveled, I don\u2019t know what kind of thoughts would be traipsing through my head. A lot of assumptions would be made — I do know that. I never would\u2019ve made friends<\/a> across borders, I never would\u2019ve learned about different cultures, and most importantly, I never would\u2019ve realized how great and good and beautiful our world is.<\/p>\n

What do patience, gratitude, self-awareness, and an open mind have in common? \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

They are all qualities of a great person — and they are all qualities you can nurture by traveling the world.<\/p>\n

Though of course traveling — or even volunteering abroad<\/a> — will likely have the greatest impact, a trip to a new neighborhood or city will do. As long as you\u2019re getting out of your comfort zone and exposing yourself to new ideas, people, and places, you will experience growth.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s only by growing that we become better.<\/p>\n

Has traveling made you a better person? Tell us how! <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Susan Shain works with Discover Corps<\/a>, the only volunteer vacation organization endorsed by the National Peace Corps Association. She believes the best way to discover a country is through its people. Click here to learn more about Discover Corps\u2019 all-inclusive volunteer vacations<\/a> in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Though you probably don\u2019t need an excuse to travel, I\u2019ll give you a few anyway. Here are four ways traveling the world makes you a better person: Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":32373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[38,6],"tags":[66,4629,3637,2031,4222,4202],"yoast_head":"\n4 Ways Traveling the World Makes You a Better Person<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Though you probably don\u2019t need an excuse to travel, I\u2019ll give you a few anyway. 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