5 reasons why every young person should travel

People of all ages should make time in their life for travel. However, for young adults who are still impressionable and have not yet settled down, travel is particularly important. Here are 5 reasons why all young people should travel.
1. You will never be less tied down than you are now
At no other time in your life will you have fewer responsibilities than you do now. Before you know it, you will be in a long-term relationship with a mortgage on a house and children on the way. When this happens you won’t just be able to pack your things and fly off on a whim. Take advantage of the situation you are in now and travel while you still have the chance.
2. It widens your comfort zone and helps you become more independent
Traveling in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language forces you to quickly adapt and move outside your comfort zone. After you’ve gathered the courage to ask a local in broken Spanish where your hostel is speaking to strangers back home will be a piece of cake. There’s no relying on mom and dad to take care of you in this situation, so you quickly learn how to independently look after yourself.
3. It allows you to see the good and bad of your own country
Too often we get so accustomed to how things work in our own country that we stop seeing the positives and focus only on what we don’t like. By traveling to other countries and seeing how things work there, you will be more able to recognize and appreciate the good things done in your home country that you would otherwise take for granted.
4. Can help show you what you want to do with your future
Most young people have no idea what they want to do with their futures. The experiences you have while traveling can help show you what you like, and direct you to a possible career in the future. Whether it is teaching English in Asia, building houses in Africa, or interning at a firm in London, you will discover the things you do and do not enjoy while traveling, and can use this experience to decide on a future career.
5. Allows you check things off of your bucket list early in life
Despite ever increasing lifespans, reaching old age is not a guarantee for anyone. This means that you should try to accomplish as much as you can when you are young, in case you do not have the chance to do it when you are older. Also, checking things of your bucket list while young allows you to focus more when you are back home and working. How could anyone focus on work knowing that there are all these experiences out there waiting to be had. Traveling while young allows you to calm these ambitions and focus on your everyday work.
These are only 5 of the many different reasons why young people should travel. Have any ideas of your own? Let us know in the comments!
Marcinko
Por una locura!
Kevin
Very nice article!
One other reason to travel is that it helps you learn how to manage money.
Setting and following a budget is super important when you’re traveling, and you can bring that back to your everyday life once you’re done.
Dannielle Lily
This is the exact premise behind my blog; it’s called ‘While I’m Young and Skinny’ because if we don’t travel now, while we’re young, when will we? Life WILL get in the way so go out and explore while you have few responsibilities. Great post 🙂
Sara
Thanks for your comment Dannielle! I feel exactly the same way.
I’ll definitely check out your blog 🙂
Lolo
I think it’s important for everyone to travel, especially at a young age. Growing up traveling, I learned to appreciate different cultures and types of people and their religions. It makes a person more open minded and willing to accept different.
Sara
Thanks for commenting Lolo.
You are totally right, traveling can have such a positive impact on a young person who is growing up.
Gia Kristel
I completely agree with travelling while you’re young! Travelling gives you the opportunity to grow and it is good to do it early as it gives you time to assess things in your life. Traing young also gives you the opportunity to see more stuff as you grt older and do things while you can. Imagine climbing a volcano in your 50’s!
Sara
Thanks for your comment Gia 🙂
I agree with everything you say, I cannot imagine doing the things I’m doing now later in my life…
Erica
I agree. Some places are also better off experienced at a certain age too.
http://www.girlunspotted.com
Sara
Thanks for the comment Erica, nice blog btw!
Robin
I agree with you! Traveling opens your mind and worldview. We have to encourage everyone to do it.
grtz, Robin
Sara
Thanks Robin! I think we definitely should.
Janna
Love it! These are basically every reason as to why I love to travel and can’t wait to do more. I definatly agree travelling when younger has it perks and advantages but sometimes doing it older I feel like does as well, like being more finacially stable to do more things you want to.
Sara
I understand your point of view 🙂 I agree that traveling older can have its perks as well! Thanks for sharing it Janna.
Elena
Not sure about #4…It only helped me knowing what I don’t wanna do (i.e everything I was doing before I started travelling) :))
Sara
Thanks for your point of view Elena, I guess it’s different for each person.
Victor
Great article, and so much truth in this words, I wish I have traveled more when I was yonger but I can’t complein.
Sara
Thanks for the comment Victor, It’s never too late 🙂
karla
I like this article a lot. I agree with you. I especially feel strongly about 1 and 4. You’ll never be less busy in your life, you will always have something else to spend for or prioritize so why not travel now. I have friends who keep saying next year, and they never do. Traveling opens your eyes and it does show you what you want for your future or what you don’t want. I learned a lot from traveling.
Sabine
It’s good to travel when you are young. I started travelling young, and travelled full time on a later age, so actually there is basically no age in when starting to travel as long as you just enjoy it 🙂
Natasha Amar
I agree with each point a 100%. You will never be less tied down- if you want to go, go now!
antonette - we12travel
Not only young people should travel, but people from any age should. Staying home can always be done, but when you get the chance to get away, do it!
Ynah.CA
Very true! I believe that experiencing things first hand is always a great way to learn, and travelling is one of the best platforms to make it happen.
Anne | Girl Chasing Sunshine
Great article! I can relate, especially with #1. I can’t imagine traveling long-term while having my family and raising my own kids. Having said that, I admire parents who still get to travel full-time, with their kids! What an achievement. 🙂
Alexis
Fantastic advice. We are trying to travel throughout our lives instead of waiting for retirement, and it’s interesting how trips change from when you are a teen, to a young adult, and then where we are now, which is parents with young children. Each phase is exciting and wonderful in its own way.
Laura
There really are so many great reason to travel as a young person. I’ve chosen a different lifestyle than most people by choosing not to have children, but that step in life, as well as buying a house and starting a career will really limit your traveling possibilities later. So better do it while you’re not tied down.
Jocelyn
I wish I had traveled more as a younger person. The exchange rate was so much better! 🙂 Trying to make up for that now.
Lexi
Traveling while you’re young is such a good idea, nice post!
alison abbott
Well I’m not exactly young, and i wish I had travelled more when I was, so yes, these are all great reasons Sara. Now I am trying to play catch up!
Christa
I agree, and it’s cheaper too living in hostels or doing a short work abroad. Those are things that are harder (or even impossible) when you’re older and traveling with your spouse or kids!
Stacey Valle
I do wish I started traveling when I turned 18 at least but better now than never before getting tied down with anything! 🙂
Grietje from TravelGretl
It’s SO MUCH FUN so you start doing it as soon as you can 😀
Simone
I love this and completely agree! I think all young people should travel if they have the opportunity to do so!
Simone x | The Aussie Flashpacker
Connie Reed
You have some good points here. I never thought about traveling extensively when I was young. In my family we were expected to “become responsible” right after high school with a full-time job and health insurance benefits. I married young, bought a house and started a family We traveled as much as we could given the circumstances. Now that our kids are grown and my husband and I both have jobs that we can do from anywhere, we’re traveling more. We will never be able to see everything there is to see in the world, but I’m glad we’re both healthy enough to enjoy those places we are now getting to see.
Nic
This is so true, although I do think you can travel at any age I think it is so much easier to get away when you are young and also do some crazy stuff!
Ginger
This is so inspiring! Thank you!
Nereid
love this post! I want to travel on my own so bad. Too sad that make strick parents never let me go on an adventure.
Julius @ Traveltipy
That’s true! I know few persons that have never been anywhere in their lives. Now they are 60+ years old and are scared even to go outside to do some shopping… I think this is one of the main reasons why they are scared, that they have never traveled.
Mary Charie | Two Monkeys Travel
I always see article like this. But never get tired of reading it. Still and will always be happy with my decision to travel!