Simple question, right? With an obvious answer – because you can. But actually, being young and in a position to travel wherever, and whenever you like, is one of the greatest gifts on earth, and something we often take for granted. So aside from the obvious, have you ever actually thought about why travelling at the exact age you are now, is one of the damn coolest things you can ever do? Let’s elaborate…
Because you have no commitments
We’re not talking student loans, rental contracts or significant others. We’re talking serious, life altering commitments, like mortgages, children, ageing parents, and all the other changes that come with the progression of life. Right now you may feel tied to a job, or a rental property, but word up – this is not concrete. You’re still in the early stages of your adult life, and at the risk of sounding naff and cliché, now really is your time. Seize your single, commitment free life by the balls and run with it.
Because you don’t need to be rich
Now we’re not saying travel is cheap, because we all know that’s not the case, but it’s sure as hell cheaper travelling when you don’t mind room sharing with a few of your besties, or you’re happy to survive on a diet of street food meals and happy hour drinks only. When you’re young savings are less important, mainly because, let’s be honest, we don’t really have any, so any cash we can scrape together we normally spend on travelling. So on these travels, we don’t care about fancy airlines or luxury hotels, we’re just chasing experiences and memories, the more random, unique and utterly brilliant, the better.
Psst – looking for another way to save sweet dollahhh? Head on over to www.contiki.com/omg and jump on the epic savings…
You’ll take greater risks
Sure there are skydiving grannies and deep sea diving grandpas, but they’re definitely in the minority. As we age, our perception of risk gets greater and greater, making us less likely and less willing to do those dare devil activities we dreamed of in our youth. But, rain check, you are in your youth, and you won’t blink an eye at going a five hour hike, boarding down a black run or setting off for a six week adventure with just a backpack and a taste for adventure as company. Not only that, but you’re energy levels dwindle the older you get, so whilst the mind is still willing, the body’s basically saying ‘screw that’. The point? Whilst the mind AND the body are both able, go do the damn thing, take the risk, and don’t regret it.
Because you’re investing in your future
Travelling offers you an entirely different education to what you’ll learn at school or uni, and in some ways it’s even more valuable. Your travel lessons are a real world education, and will set you up for life in terms of knowledge, ability and confidence. A well-travelled individual is a well-rounded individual – you’ve experienced different cultures, you can sympathise with how other people live, you’ve been exposed to new languages, and you’ve pushed the boundaries of what you expect from yourself. Maybe you never thought you could go travelling without your friends, then you do it and have the absolute best time. Lesson learnt? You went outside your comfort zone, ignored your inner niggling doubts, and smashed it. Growing confidence in yourself is pretty much the most valuable asset a person can have, because if you have confidence and belief, nothing is impossible.
Because you’ll never be young again
We know how we sound, all morbid and shit, but c’mon, it’s true! Right now you’re living some of the best years of your life. You can be single, you can do (kind of) what you want or who you want, and you can go anywhere your bank balance/visa restrictions allow for. Often we’re so caught up planning our next move, we forget to live for the right now, and to be honest, the right now ain’t half bad.
So when you’re old you can say you had no regrets
You know how the old saying goes, “twenty years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did”. And to be honest, it’s true. Everyone has paths they follow in life, some safe, some dangerous, but it’s only by throwing caution to the wind do you ever develop or learn. Sure you’ll make mistakes, but wouldn’t you rather grow old knowing you tried, than by living safely within the lines, never really experiencing that thrill of the unknown. If you’ve got a wish list of travel destinations as long as your arm, sounds to us like you need to go out and see the world, instead of finding reasons not to.
Because who knows what tomorrow may bring
Tomorrow could be just another day, cloudy with a chance of rain, or it could be the day your whole life changes. No one can predict the future, all we can do is live in the present and look forward to what the future might bring. But life is temperamental, it puts bumps in the road when all you want is a smooth and easy ride, so the best advice we can give? Live your best life right now, tick off those bucket list items, and travel as far and wide as you possibly can.
