Under normal circumstances, traveling can be a pleasurable experience. Given the current global pandemic, though, it's a lot tougher and frustrating.
However, there will come the point when traveling will be safe again. It's not too early to consider planning an international trip in the meantime.
International traveling offers plenty of benefits and can do wonders in improving your wellbeing. Check out these five ways international traveling can improve your wellbeing.
Going out and exploring the world is a challenge. There are many prerequisites you have to go through, like updating your passport of obtaining a visa, and plenty of planning that has to be done.
Once everything is in motion, things can feel frantic and draining. But that feeling tends to be fleeting because once you land in the destination you’ve been planning so hard to reach, there’s a great feeling of satisfaction.
There’s a level of confidence you feel in a job well done. You’ve accomplished something you may have thought you wouldn’t be able to do, which helps improve your self-esteem.
There's a lot to be said about going out and experiencing another culture. Sure, you can read about how another society lives, but there's nothing quite like experiencing it for yourself.
Your experience will vary, but what tends to be a universal experience is gaining perspective. You learn how others live, even if it's just a glimpse.
In some circumstances, you realize you may have been more blessed than you realize. Some nations aren't as well off as yours. On the contrary, you may learn how another society is doing something better. You may gain insight into how certain things in your home country can be improved.
You'd be doing yourself a disservice not to try to socialize with anyone when you travel internationally.
By no means does this mean you have to make a new best friend or you have to talk to everyone you meet on the street. What it's really about is breaking out of your comfort zone. Take a risk and talk to a stranger—who at least looks like they're willing to talk to you.
This isn’t limited to the country’s native citizens. What often happens is people make a connection with their fellow travelers. They’re often in the same boat as you as a stranger in a foreign land and can relate to some of the feelings you’re experiencing.
Learning to adapt is necessary for all of us at some point. Traveling internationally forces you to adapt in ways you may have never thought.
Everything from sleeping arrangements to eating is a new experience. It can feel overwhelming at times, but you’d be surprised at how you can adapt.
Depending on the length of your trip, you may not have fully adapted to another culture's customs, but it's important to do what you can. It's in poor taste to stick by your country's customs in a foreign land, so adapt in the areas you can.
Generalizations and stereotypes are unhealthy and do a disservice to people. We grow up hearing a lot of them. When we experience that country's way of life, we end up gaining a better understanding of how things really are.
For example, when you dine at an Italian restaurant in Italy, you'll get your food at a far more leisurely pace. For some, this is odd, but it's part of the Italian emphasis on hospitality. It's just a part of their culture.
Sure, there will be things you don’t agree with, but in turn, you learn to practice tolerance. No one is saying you have to adopt a new way of living. Instead, you should do your best to try to understand cultural differences.
International traveling is something you should try to strive for at some point in your life. It can be costly, stressful, and intimidating, but it’s an experience worth chasing after.
You'll gain experience that will help you out in the long run. You'll grow as a person, which makes it all worthwhile.
Misty Jhones