“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~ Saint Augustine
May it be with your family or friends or solo, travelling is always fun and teaches you several things. What could be better than exploring nature, different kinds of culture, and food? We are all aware of this, but what does it really mean to become more open-minded by travelling?
Here's a list of 10 things that explains and proves the same-
1. Priorities in various cultures
In America, people are more concerned about their happiness, financial success, career, etc. In India, people work over time and even on holidays to make more money so that they can have a secure future. But in Ecuador and Iran, people spend their vacations with close ones, prioritizing their friends and family. You should find out what is more important and make time for it. Also, understand what is important for others and let them do it their way.
2. Self-awareness
Being away from the comfort of your home, you tend to realize the little things like your habits and physical capabilities to do a task. You get to know about your strengths and weaknesses. By meeting new people from various other cultures, you get different ideas on how to improve yourself and what is better for you.
3. Trying new things
Trying new things
A lot of us are very picky when it comes to food. We strictly do not eat the dishes that we hate, even though we are starving. But when a friend went to an Iranian house, their food consisted of all those things that she hated, and she had to eat it. And surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. She realized she was being stupidly stubborn, and maybe by trying out new things, we may find our new favourite cuisine or activity.
4. Staying with the same People
No matter how loving and amazing your social circle might be, staying with them forever won't make you grow. You need to meet different people with different backgrounds and ethnicity to learn new tricks. Acquainting different personalities will also make you a more accepting person. You will eventually understand different cultures without judging them.
5. In a different environment, you learn more about your culture
India is one of the few countries where loads of spices are used. We learned this when we ate Turkish, Iranian, and American food. Similarly, when you go to a different place, you observe their way of living, food habits, and culture. Subconsciously, you start comparing their culture to yours and maybe adapt interesting features of their culture or leave some of your own.
6. Returning home
Travelling is not only about how it made you feel while you were on the trip but also be the happiness of coming back home and leaving all those language barriers and appreciating living with people of the same mentality. You may not like 'tinday', but after returning from the USA, we are sure you would even settle for that, realizing that the trip evolved you into a less picky person. Your reaction to someone who likes it won’t be - OH MY GOD! You like Tinday?
7. Deeper perspective of relationships
For an Indian person, a gay relationship can be a big deal. But when we were in the US, we realized how normal this was. We are surely taking this back to our country.
8. Personal space in different countries
In countries like Iran or Iraq, strangers are not allowed to enter someone's personal space. Strangers that are of the opposite gender are strictly prohibited. On the other hand, in France, greeting someone by kissing them on the cheeks or hugging them is normal. In a few countries, people live in extended families whereas, in some, adults move out of the house as they turn a specific age. Living with people having different perspectives makes you more broad-minded. We think neither of the situations is wrong. They are just people's personal choices.
9. Humility
Crossing oceans makes you realize how blessed you are. As we see different people working hard to survive, we learn to appreciate the things that we took for granted. We develop a sense of respect for how others live. Surely, travelling makes you a more tolerant and down-to-earth person.
10. Transformation
Don't travel just for the sake of it. This activity makes you feel alive so take all the possible opportunities and learn. For example, dressing up as a local will make you feel like you are one of them. We still wear the evil eye pendant, which is a souvenir from Turkey. Not just the dressing sense and eating habits but also other traditions like Japanese people tend to take power naps during the afternoons and this helps them to be more productive during the rest of the day.
In the Netherlands, average people use their bikes for at least 20 minutes a day. This is a good form of physical exercise and also helps in reducing carbon emissions. By taking habits from different countries and different cultures, we can adopt a better life. Experience is never worthless, and travelling provides us with hands-on experience and immense knowledge. Also, it is an amazing stress buster. What can be better than this combination?
So start travelling with an open mind. Knowledge will always lead to a broader perspective and a better lifestyle.
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