When we travel, we change.
We adapt to each city we are invited in, each friendship that is forged in the wee hours of cramped travel; each meal that pleases our palate, or perhaps, turns our stomachs.
Travel has given me the gift of being comfortable with myself and my place in the world. It’s helped open my eyes to the beauty – and sometimes the ugliness – of the world. More than anything, travel has lit a fire in my heart to explore and protect the world to the best of my ability.
Wondering about taking a little of the travel drug? Here are a few real- life examples of friends who have taken the leap and expanded their horizons. Enjoy.
Get inspired. Get traveling.
Maja meets a donkey in the streets of Morocco
Travel made me realize how small the world is. Having so many friends in so many places makes everything real, makes everything attainable, makes the colors of life more vivid.
We can go ANYWHERE. People in Syria and and Nigeria have the same fun we have, even if their daily lives include worries ours don’t. We are all the same – we are not nationalities; we are people. Love is everywhere and stretches very far.
It also made me appreciate real toilets, the extent to which driers are unnecessary, and that you do not automatically lose weight if you move to a country full of thin people and delicious pastries… as if I could give a damn.” – Maja Seitz
Jessica in Marrakesh, Morocco
[quote]“Travel has made me more aware of me. I learn more about myself while on the road than anywhere else. I never feel better about myself or my purpose in life than when I’m traveling. I always come up with my best plans and dreams while I am traveling. ” – Jessica Johnson [/quote]
Once a shy boy, Fernando now knows no fear.
[quote]“I was once cripplingly shy and through traveling managed to overcome that barrier which separated me from the world. It worked because leaving behind your environment and rational/emotional shortcuts forces you to rethink your whole life and see yourself with clarity.
I grow & learn at 12x the speed when I’m away; change that happens so fast is visible and inspiring. Traveling has made me believe in the unwavering kindness of complete strangers. Open your heart and nothing can go wrong.” – Fernando Souza [/quote]
[quote] “ Traveling has allowed me to reach deeper into my soul and re-evaluate the information that had been fed to me over the years. Travel has allowed me to see, reflect and contribute to more positive forms of humanity.”
– Tobi Zidell[/quote]
Annabell replaying a travel memory…
[quote] “Travel has taught me a deep respect for other cultures – their values, traditions, customs, beliefs, joys and sorrows, view of life, art, food.
Travel is the most profound eye-opener I know, and it brings with it tolerance, flexibility, curiosity and the irreversible expansion of one’s horizons. Not to forget the pure awe of all the natural beauty this world has to offer – how can we not want to preserve what has been entrusted to us once we’ve seen how gloriously beautiful it can be?!?” – Annabell O’Connor [/quote]
Awen and a friend enjoying the Holi Festival of Colors
“Traveling has taught me that any decision I make is fine, and I’ll always benefit and become wiser whichever way I choose to go. It’s taught me to chill, trust the Flow and become more intuitive.
In that sense, travel has also taught me nobody is fundamentally right and nobody is fundamentally wrong either; so it’s okay to be a freak, to be a genius, to be a monster, to be me.
Perhaps most importantly, travel has taught me that self-reliance is the greatest gift of Freedom, and that relying on oneself also means asking for help, not from a place of need, but from a place of curiosity.
Surfing somebody else’s couch, borrowing somebody else’s item, eating a meal prepared by somebody else or asking for directions will always show you there are more ways than one to get from A to B. Travel is the supreme exercise in shifting perspectives.” – Awen Salotto
[quote] “Don’t be afraid to try something and fail. Failure, especially while stepping outside of your comfort zone, gives you the opportunity to really know yourself. It means you’re taking risks. It forces you to adapt and look at the world differently. Failure allows you to embrace the worst moments and savor the best.” – The Nomad Grad [/quote]