People travel for a variety of reasons. See the world, have some fun, meet new people, learn about different cultures - the list really can go on and on. But do you know the best reason we’ve found to travel? 

The chance to learn! 

Learning is something humans do every single day, but most of us only get the benefits of our immediate surroundings. When you travel, you open these up and make them richer in knowledge. You make learning ten times more fun. 

Indeed, when you travel, there’s so much you can learn, and from so many more people. What could be better than that?! We all should have the chance to travel. The more we see of the world, the more we understand what being a global citizen looks like. 

When it comes to using the places before us as our teachers, the benefits are endless. Here are just a few that’ll make a difference to your lifelong education, your perception, and what you end up taking to heart. 

It’s a Real Life Geography Lesson

Traveling lets us see what’s out there in the rest of the world. As we go, we can learn a lot about geography, both physical and human. We can learn why landscapes look the way they do, why that volcano in the center of town is inactive, and why human settlers came to this land in the first place. 

This is all great knowledge to take home with you, but instead of learning it in a static classroom, you’re there in person and learning from the people who know it best! 

Geography in real life is more than just looking over textbooks and knowing the difference between water sources. It’s seeing these things in action and understanding the majesty of how the natural world really works. 

There’s a Lot of History to Discover

History is all around us. However, often enough in order to find it, we have to go looking for it. Traveling lets us do just that. 

Whether you’re a history buff or not, finding out more about those who came before us is a fun thing to do. You might even end up winning trivia night and wowing your friends back home with your seemingly arcane knowledge! 

So visit those museums, cathedrals, and temples, and spend time getting to know the past. At the very least, it’ll let you bring home some amazing pictures and fantastic memories.  

The Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the three grand shrines of Kumano, in traditional shinto architecture in Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan

Your Social Skills Will Get a Strong Boost

Conversing with people who may not speak the same language, or only speak some of it as a second language, will provide a massive boost to your own social skills. After all, not all communication is spoken! 

You’ll soon be able to read body language like a real pro, and the more you get into conversation where you’re not 100% fluent, the better your social skills will grow to be. Of course, it's always a good idea to learn another language. 

You’ll Have More Opportunities to Engage Your Brain

Traveling requires you to be a bit more vigilant than you would be while just making your way around your own town or city. As such, you’re going to have more opportunities to engage your brain. 

Working out/translating road signs or how much you’ll have to pay to buy something from a local shop. Taking in ancient architecture and understanding the different elements of the building. Trying out new foods you’ve never heard of and introducing your palette to new flavors. These are all great little opportunities to engage your brain...and you wouldn’t have access to them without traveling.

Exercising your thought patterns and taking on new points of view and experiences is one of the best things about traveling. Even when you’re in the airport and waiting for boarding, you’re more likely to pull out a crossword puzzle to complete than if you were at home! In so many ways, traveling gives your brain something to chew on.

You’ll Learn to Think on Your Feet

Traveling often requires us to adapt at the last minute (i.e., if you miss your train or your flight is canceled). Because of this, you’re going to quite quickly learn to think on your feet. 

When’s the next transport coming? Are you in the right place for it? How long will it take you to get to the station, if not? How much does it cost? You’re going to learn to cope with questions like these, and instead of standing around and panicking, you’re going to become able to immediately spring into action. 

In short, traveling shows us how to use our brains, as well as enables us to become more courageous when facing the chaos of day to day life. That’s a great learning curve to go on! 

You’ll Try Things You Probably Wouldn’t Have Otherwise

Finally, sometimes traveling shows us what we really want out of life. We discover our likes and dislikes when we’re in different lands, and seeing as there’s a whole world of opportunity out there, you might just find your number one hobby without even looking for it. 

Rock climbing and mountain hikes. Sailing, kayaking, and white water rafting. Spending time around livestock while traversing fields and understanding the difference between corn snake patterns. 

These are all things you might never have done if you stayed home. Traveling lets us take on more opportunities, and that often leads to discovering fun (and important) information about who we are, what we like to do, and how far we can push ourselves. 

If you want to travel, do so to have fun, but make sure you’re willing to learn about the world at the same time. The countries we explore can be magnificent teachers, but only if we’re willing to stop and take it all in. Get your taste of geography, step back in the past with unique history, and get face to face with people who may live very different lives from you.