Travel is the greatest education

I’m sure we all like to travel every now and then, but I’m sure some people may have a fear of traveling or stepping out of their comfort zone. If you’re one of those people, I’m writing this article to convince you otherwise.

Now, I consider myself a new traveler. I’m from the United States and have visited 40 states. Out of those 40, I’ve lived in six. I went with my family to Canada for two weeks in June 2018. I took a month-long group trip with my classmates to India in January 2020. In August 2021, I took my very first solo trip to Mexico for a week, and I am currently planning my next trip. Hopefully I’ll visit many more countries, with the ultimate goal of visiting every single country before I die. What I think sets my international trips apart from many other travelers like me is that I tend to stray away from all the tourist hotspots. I like to see what the locals enjoy. In India, I didn’t visit the Taj Mahal. I spent the majority of my time in the countryside, in villages interacting with the locals. I felt as if I got a better understanding of Indian culture and way of life by doing so. I also went to Goa, which, oddly enough, not very many American tourists visit, and I saw centuries-old Portuguese churches. While in Goa, I went parasailing for the first time, even though I’m afraid of heights, but by overcoming this fear, I got to experience something not many get to experience.

Probably the boldest move I’ve made yet was traveling alone to Mexico City. Now, some of you reading might think I’m crazy, going out of the country all alone and staying at a total stranger's house. My own family had this exact reaction when I told them, with many of them encouraging me not to go. Of course, me being me, I brushed it off and went anyway. As it turned out, this was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to go to the top of a skyscraper for the first time, I tried new dishes that I’d never even heard of and I saw historical wonders not many people see or even learn about. If I’d listened to my family, I would’ve missed out on all that. Now by no means am I telling you you should just totally ignore the opinions of those around you, but you should also trust your own judgements and abilities.

The point I’m trying to make with all this is that one of the best educations you could possibly receive is travel. You can experience things you may have never experienced before and may never experience again. You can experience a culture and way of life that’s totally different from your own. Your worldview will be widened and you will look at life and society through a new lens, causing you to have realizations you may never have otherwise. I’ll end with a quote from the legendary Anthony Bourdain: “If you’re 22, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from then – wherever you go.”

By Evan Majors