Social media may be the ideal medium for showcasing the world’s beauty to armchair travelers worldwide in today’s tech-obsessed society, but travel is about so much more than just taking the ideal Instagram picture. Travel ought to have purpose. It should challenge and enlighten you, revitalize and re-establish you, thrill and inspire you, and above all, humble you.

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Our best stories, our most treasured memories, and innumerable priceless lessons that we can choose to share with others come from travel. It expands our perspectives, teaches us more about ourselves and one another, and, like a reset button, makes us refocus on the things that are truly important.

This is what I see as travel…

Personally, I consider traveling to be a way of life. Travellust (and an often mocked hybrid accent) were inevitable for me because I was born into a family that loved to travel, and by the time I started school, I had already lived on three different continents. Being fortunate enough to have parents who believe that travel is the best classroom, my sister and I were able to spend our school holidays traveling to and from interesting places.

The best gift I ever received was the gift of travel, which I received upon graduating from college and turning 21. I set out on a six-month solo backpacking trip through Europe, Southern Africa, and Australia with a round-the-world plane ticket and a spirit of adventure, and it definitely changed the way I saw the world. So, these are my top ten reasons for loving to travel, coming from a self-described travel addict.

1. Travel in order to improve the world.

I have had the good fortune to work and travel with for over 13 years, and our company’s ethos and steadfast dedication to protecting the environment, wildlife, and people are what most inspire me. I have had the incredible opportunity to actively participate in a plethora of unforgettable and profoundly meaningful experiences thanks to traveling with. Some of these experiences include: seeing an endangered rhinoceros be safely relocated; seeing an elephant cow being collared for scientific and monitoring purposes; assisting in the relocation of a vulnerable nest laid by a massive and extremely endangered sea turtle; spending the night in a traditional Maasai manyatta (homestead); and much more. In addition to allowing travelers to interact, participate, and learn, authentic, experiential travel also gives them the opportunity to travel with a purpose and improve the world while doing so.

2. Visit other cultures through travel

We learn to embrace and celebrate both our similarities and our differences through travel, which exposes us to various cultures and ancient traditions. We learn about humanity and develop an appreciation, comprehension, and respect for various viewpoints and lifestyles through travel.

3. Take a learning trip

Traveling is the best way to become fully immersed in a variety of subjects, including biology, gastronomy, languages, geography, history, and culture. Experiences beyond the pages of a travel guide or textbook broaden our horizons and impart knowledge. Curious travelers not only discover new cultures, languages, and landscapes; they also learn interesting facts while witnessing wild animals in their natural habitat; they explore a region’s history and sample its cuisine; and, most importantly, they discover new aspects of themselves and one another.

4. Using travel to get away from reality

Everybody needs to occasionally disappear from view and escape reality. We can experience total privacy when visiting uncharted territory. It allows us to be anyone, go anywhere, and do anything, giving us complete freedom to live in the present. The freedom to just wake up, pick a spot anywhere on the map, and figure out a way to get there was the best part of my previous six-month trip around the world. We can be impulsive and seek out novel experiences when we travel.

5. Take a trip to unwind

Since we are time-pressed and reliant on technology, it is rare that we take the time to unwind and completely disconnect from the outside world. We can escape the rigors of everyday life, including dramas, deadlines, and demands, and we can decompress by traveling. In order to reconnect (with ourselves, each other, and the natural environment), it urges us to fully unplug and recharge (from our phones, Wi-Fi, emails, laptops, social media, etc.).

6. Journey to discover

We are inspired to see, taste, and try new things when we travel and step outside of our comfort zones. It continuously tests our ability to interact with diverse people, accept new experiences as they arise, adapt to and explore new environments, and share exciting new moments with friends and family. Travel allows us to explore with an open heart and mind, regardless of whether our goals are extreme relaxation and siestas or nonstop action and adrenaline.

7. Journey to gain humility

Traveling is unquestionably a crash course in humility. We acquire genuine perspective when we travel across borders and seas. We develop an awareness of and appreciation for all the things we take for granted in our own lives, as well as a respect and admiration for the lives of others. Above all, travel humbles us by teaching us to be understanding, adaptable, and open-minded.

8. Go out to dine

A diet is one item you’ll never find on a recommended packing list. Don’t bring it home! Just remember to pack a healthy appetite and be open to trying out all the regional specialties and flavors. Recall that dessert is usually a good idea and that mimosas are totally acceptable for breakfast. Enjoy, return for more, and work out when you get home.

9. Journey to become altered

Don’t merely take trips for their own sake. To feel alive and in search of adventure, travel. Engage in real experiences that will alter your perspective on the world and inspire introspection, environmental consciousness, and international action to save and preserve it.

10. Take a trip to fulfill your lifelong ambitions

Every traveler has a unique bucket list. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. Whether your dream is to see the Great Migration and Africa’s Big Five, to snowshoe on the side of an active volcano, or to find your Zen on a yoga retreat in the Himalayas. Traveling is the best medicine, and we hope it never stops inspiring us, making us all become passionate stewards of our beautiful planet, and taking our breath away.