Wanderlust: [won·der·luhst] (noun) meaning a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about; equivalent to wander (n)
Finding the will, the drive, the desire to travel may not be that difficult if you suffer from extreme wanderlust. It’s a great big world out there. Most of us see just a small fraction of it and don’t even realize that there are countries, cultures, experiences that exist beyond our own surroundings. Well, we want to help change that. Giving in to your inner wanderlust not only makes you a better person, but it exposes you to a whole other world – even if you decide to keep your travel plans domestic – and experiencing what it’s like for folks in that region. No matter how many times you hear someone talk about a past trip, you’ll never know what it was like, if you don’t get out there and start your own adventure.
Still not convinced? No worries. We’ve conjured up a list of why you need to close your eyes, pick a place on a map and explore.
1. It teaches you to go beyond your comfort zone: Traveling exposes you to something new and leaves you with a new outlook on life. Life is a ride and you need to enjoy it while it lasts.
2. Traveling allows you to immerse yourself in a new culture: If you’ve been mulling over that study abroad option, or want to take a semester to work somewhere, do it! Take a few months to live life in a new country and get a new perspective on college life and your major by living in another country for an extended period of time. See all of STA Travel’s study abroad options.
3. Make new friends: Whether you decide to fly solo, or jump in on a group trip, traveling is one of the easiest ways to make new friends. You’ll find yourself striking up a conversation with someone on a hop-on hop-off bus, and traveling with them for the next month. One of the best ways to meet like-minded travelers is on an adventure tour – just check out our competition winners’ accounts of their time spent on a group tour to see how much fun you’ll have with your new mates. Excitingly, we’re offering 15% off adventure tours right now. It’s not all about making friends with other travelers, though. By taking part in a volunteering project, you could meet local kids, whole communities, and wild animals, to name just a few of the awesome projects that are available all around the world.
4. Take a break from your everyday life: Sometimes we get lost in the day-to-day rut and need a break. Gap years have become quite popular here in the U.S. and aren’t just for college students, but even folks well into their careers are taking breaking breaks to enjoy life.
5. Allows you to take risks and experience something new: Maybe you want to learn to authentic flamenco dancing in Spain, or hug a koala in Australia. And you might even eat foods you never thought you’d eat along the way. Whatever you want to do, traveling gives you the guts to do it. You don’t know the type of risks you’re willing to take unless you get out and explore.
6. Have stories to share: Because who doesn’t want to start an impressive story with, “Let me tell you about the time I bungee jumped in New Zealand…”
7. Seeing famed landmarks in person is better than hearing about them 1,000 times from others: A friend may have hated Paris, but you might love it. You’ll never know unless you see it for yourself. This reason simply reminds us of the quote by Saint Augustine:
” The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
8. Traveling broadens your mind: Because sometimes you just need to disconnect and experience life in a new light.
9. Travel tokens: You can collect a treasure trove of tokens from your travels along the way.
10. Returning home a changed person: Nothing can replace the memories of where you’ve been, but more importantly, nothing can replace the feeling of returning home to your family.
