What travel can teach us
Posted 20 May, 2020
Alexis Buxton-Collins
With many borders still closed around the world, we reflect on all that travel has taught us, and explore the boundless opportunities awaiting when we can once again fly free.
By the time I was first ready to leave Australia on my own, I’d spent years planning the trip. The airfare alone could’ve paid for a decent car, and the planning took months. At the airport, I clutched a physical boarding pass, while my carry-on luggage included several phrasebooks, a giant Lonely Planet tome and a secret wallet full of traveller’s cheques. Those things have all become obsolete over the decades, but my motivation to explore the world remains the same.
Everyone travels for a different reason. Some people prioritise adventure, others relaxation, discovery or a sense of purpose, but most trips combine all of these elements.
When we’re away from home, we live life in a different way. Put simply, travel has the ability to change who we are.
Being in an unfamiliar place means we’re bombarded with new ideas and stimuli, activating parts of our brain we don’t usually use. Sometimes things don’t go as expected and we have to completely rearrange our plans. All of these experiences give us a different perspective on the world, equipping us with tools and stories for when we return.
In new environments, we’re constantly learning. We’re exposed to new cultures, landscapes and even languages, but we also have more time to read and, crucially, listen. Travel also lets us escape. It provides a change of pace and a break from the responsibilities of daily life through excitement, adventure, and relaxation. In many ways, it allows us to be free.
Travel allows us to connect with others and make new friends in the unlikeliest of locations. When we’re away from home, we can find common ground with locals and fellow travellers who we might never talk to in other situations. Being out of our comfort zone, in new surrounds, can heighten our emotional connection with others, whether that’s our partners, our friends, or even complete strangers.
Staying with family overseas can also be incredibly rewarding, opening our minds to entirely new ways of life, while – in some cases – allowing us to discover more about where our ancestors came from, and their culture.
Of course, there are so many reasons people roam the globe. A desire to help those in need could lead to travel of a humanitarian nature, while an urge to escape the monotony of day-to-day life could manifest in a solo round-the-world trip. Ask any member of a Contiki tour about their motives (especially after a couple of drinks), and your answer will more than likely involve self-discovery, excitement and, dare we say it, love.
