6 Reasons Why We Should Travel

This article was updated on November 18, 2025.

Reasons Why We Should Travel

I was bitten by the travel bug when I was 18 years old and driving across the US from Pennsylvania to California. I saw a lot of the country: Memphis, Albuquerque, the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Hollywood, the Pacific Coast Highway, and a host of other places on the return. On that trip, I learned why we should travel. I knew that in the future, I wanted to explore as frequently as my lifestyle and budget would permit.

In my twenties, I ventured across the pond for the first time and came home a changed person. Experiencing the culture of the UK was eye-opening and only reaffirmed how passionate I was about travel, and how I would continue to explore new places and experience the unknown, whether I was traveling to another part of my own country or globetrotting abroad.

Travel does more for us than we could ever imagine.

Traveling to foreign places influences our views of the world, our tolerance of other cultures, and our inherent need to feel connected to people no matter how they look, act, or speak.

However, even with the best of intentions, life gets in the way for some of us––a relationship, an aging family member or pet, finances, and limited time off from a job are all factors that impact how often we take trips. Sometimes, we have to put travel, which is often considered a luxury and not a necessity, on hold.

What’s more, the state of the world can cause doubt and insecurity. Thus, some of us choose to hang closer to home rather than venture to new destinations because we’d rather be surrounded by what feels safe and familiar. That’s understandable.

I can relate to the fears of venturing to foreign places, places where you don’t know your way around or understand the language. Or traveling to a far-flung place where people’s beliefs are different from yours. It’s fear of the unknown, and we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t experience those insecurities.

Despite the conflict in the world and the notion that travel is more dangerous than it was in the past, I firmly believe that travel is more important than ever. Read on for the reasons why we should travel.

Travel encourages us to meet new people.

Whether we travel alone or in a group, I promise, meeting people along the way is inevitable. Making friends is one of the hidden advantages of traveling.

But we also learn about ourselves.

Opening ourselves up to learn about other people and the way in which they live helps us learn more about who we are. We form our belief systems and opinions. We realize that we can do things we didn’t think we were capable of, and become better human beings in the process.

Travel encourages self-confidence.

I can attribute my independence to taking trips on my own. Whether I’m jet-setting across the globe, or road-tripping by myself, solo adventures have given me confidence that I wouldn’t have developed otherwise.

Travel enriches our world.

Seeing sights we’ve only read about in books; eating foods we’ve never eaten; experiencing the cultures of distant places, whether domestic or abroad –– all make us more well-rounded individuals so we can lead richer lives.

Travel forces us to see that people are more alike than they are different.

I believe that no matter where people are born or what language they speak, most want the same things out of life. Love. Family. Friendship. Happiness. Success. Support. Stability. Peace. To quote the great Maya Angelou, “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

Travel is the greatest unifier.

Travel remains the most obvious way to bring people together, whether sharing a meal, learning to speak a new language, or observing and appreciating different customs and cultures. In my opinion, there’s nothing that is a greater unifier than travel. In the words of a dear old friend from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England –– “Darling, we’re all on the same planet.”

A trip doesn’t need to be thousands of miles away. Venturing to another state in the US or even a different part of your own state can expose you to a distinctly different lifestyle than what you’re accustomed to.

Are you a traveler? Where’s your next trip?

Also, tips for first-time solo female travelers, and tips for first-time international travelers.