1. Life’s too short not to.
It’s Tuesday and it feels like the weekend is an eternity away. You just hope the week goes by quickly so you can spend Friday night at the same bar, with the same people, with the same dance moves since Lady Gaga shared her Bad Romance. Because what else would you be doing? Don’t drop your standards to believe that being happy two out of seven days is acceptable.
2. It’s not that expensive.
The biggest misconception is that travel is expensive but it’s really not. Travel on the cheap doesn’t just make travel possible but it adds a little more excitement into the adventure. Training yourself out of unnecessary purchases like a daily pumpkin spiced latte so you can live on $20 a day, turns backpacking into a survival game for those of us going through video game withdrawals.
3. You’ll have more confidence in your decisions.
At home you have a whole team of advisers at your finger tips: granny, mum, best friend, next door neighbours cat, whoever. I’m not saying these people will be cut from life once you’ve left the Motherland but if you’re on the wrong bus in Spain and have to make a split decision to go to Madrid instead, your advisory panel won’t be at your disposal. No longer do you second-guess your decisions or question your choices, you are the only one pulling the strings in your life. Voila – confidence!
4. Home stays the same.
It’s a little secret travel lovers know all too well; home never changes and going back is always an option. Sure, if you’re gone long enough your bedroom may get turned into a gym, friends might get married and do that whole ‘adult thing’ but unless you’re ready to walk that same path, that sense of security no longer thrills the nomad inside.
5. It strengthens independence.
Travel pushes you outside your comfort zone, where no one holds your hand anymore and you’re reaping the benefits with tacos for breakfast and French wine before noon – because that’s what one does in France on a Tuesday. The taste of independence really is sweet.
6. Money isn’t everything.
Forget what they taught you, money isn’t everything! That’s the funny thing about money and the power of greed, you are always left feeling like it’s never enough no matter how much you have. Let’s face it, the richest man alive doesn’t think he has enough! Your self worth is not a dollar value kept in a savings account, and when it comes down to it, driving a BMW doesn’t make you a better person. They say travel is the only thing you can spend money on that will make you richer, and its true.
7. You’ll have a regret free life, almost.
There’s a common belief that quitting your ‘adult job’ to travel is an irrational, foolish idea that will only end in a phone call to the parents asking for an emergency E-transfer. But the reality is: it isn’t. If you’re leading a life you’re unhappy with, dreading getting out of bed each morning to go to a job you resent, the regret will start seeping in around your 40’s and before you know it you’re that bitter old person saying ‘ I wish I had done that when I was your age.’
8. It’s easier than you think.
Write a list of countries you want to visit and start from there. Once you start purchasing flights and actually committing to the trip, it’s surprising how easily everything falls into place. Just book the trip and go.
9. Google images are not the same.
Google images don’t do the world justice; hitting search won’t exactly allow you to feel the warm Parisian air as you watch the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, nor will it let you taste a beer at Oktoberfest.
10. The food you’ll get to eat.
The best way to explore a new country and gain a better cultural understanding is to try the food. Just like the original movie is always better than the sequel, a dish from its country of origin will always be a treat and is generally the one touristy activity that always lives up to the hype. Belgian waffles, curry wurst in Germany, stamppot in The Netherlands, Swiss chocolate, Paella in Spain.
Hungry?
Pack your bags and go.
