People choose travel nursing for a lot of reasons. Some just want to explore new places. Others just like doing something different. But, did you know that by traveling, you actually become a better human being? It’s true. Breathing in new places, trying out wacky things, eating local cuisine, and meeting fresh faces can really turn your life around.
8 Signs Traveling Has Made You a Better Person
1. You actually live in the moment.
It’s harder than ever to breathe in every second of everyday and enjoy it. Much too often, we’re just merely existing—eyes glued to our glowing screens and not the people and places around us. When you start traveling, it’s much easier to start to appreciate the little parts of the day that we forget the joy in. It might just be the couple seconds of bliss we feel as the sun hits our face from the backseat of a taxi as you head to brunch or the pleasure that comes from listening to the street vendor tell you a joke about his mother-in-law. Whatever it is, traveling starts to allow us to actually live again.
2. You appreciate other people’s lives.
We’re all human. It’s not until we submerge ourselves in cultures different than ourselves, that we can actually see how uniquely similar we all are. Travelers are less ethnocentric and therefore are able to consider things from a broader perspective. In a lot of ways, experiencing how other people are living makes you a way more sympathetic and caring person.
3. You are comfortable alone.
When you are able to wander around by yourself, you notice that you become more mindful. Solitude can be a powerful thing. History’s greatest artists and philosophers have practiced solo travel as a way to enhance their brain power. Exploring a new place without others also allows you to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to without the nagging and push-and-pull of others.
4. You’re a natural story teller.
When you think about the greatest authors of our time we think of Hunter S. Thompson or Jack Kerouac—both of whom got their brilliant ideas from roaming all over the world. Travelers just have a more exciting life. Recalling all the adventures and people you meet will end up making you the life of any party. Let’s face it, everyone enjoys hearing an amazing story.
5. You march to the beat of your own bongos.
Travelers don’t follow the same path as others. After all, being like everyone else is boring! You can always spot a traveler in a crowd because they would rather eat at the secret back-alley falafel shop that the stranger at the park told them about than use Urban Spoon to track down where the nearest Applebee’s is located.
6. You realize that money and value are two different things.
American society doesn’t hold travel in as high regard as other cultures. For many of us, we’re grateful to get 5 days of paid vacation each year where Brazil and Sweden both receive 41. It’s all about working and trying to earn as much money as we can. Seasoned travelers know that experiences are more rewarding than money. Because, seriously, ten years from now we’re not going to reminisce on the overtime shift we worked one day but we will recall the priceless memories we made exploring.
7. Realizing the worst experiences make for the best outcome.
Even flowers grow from dirt. So often when we travel, things go wrong. Flights get delayed, you forget your favorite sunglasses in the hotel, or you lose your wallet on the subway. But, what most don’t realize about bad days, are they make us more able to cope emotionally, understand the good and the bad in strangers, learn from our mistakes, and ultimately feel stronger.
8. You’re ready for anything.
Life doesn’t go off of a meticulously planned itinerary. In fact, not much in life happens 100% according to plan. But, the unexpected adventures are typically the ones that we love the most. The new friend we meet might win tickets to the indie concert of a band you never heard of, but end up becoming your all-time favorite artist. Or, you might just miss your bus but end up becoming lifetime pals with the Uber driver that picked you up. You never know where life will lead you, but experienced travelers are always game for whatever comes along.
