I’ve travelled quite a bit, and saying that is pretty big for a 17-year-old girl. But I find it pretty amazing. I’ve ridden the London Eye in England, stood on a volcano in Costa Rica and seen the Statue of Liberty with my own eyes. When you go to all these places, it makes these amazing memories that you can keep for a lifetime. No one says “Dang, I wish I never went on that trip to Mexico. Or France. Or Japan.” I would think that all of us have a bit of a travel bug. Whether it be foreign countries or a road trip across Canada.
These are just 10 simple reasons why you should travel at least once in your life:
1. You will never forget it. Trust me. Whether it be with your family, your partner, or even just yourself, you will never ever forget how it was tasting fresh lobster from the ocean in Hawaii. You’ll never forget what it was like to make new friends backpacking to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Santiago. You will never, ever forget what it was like to swim with dolphins in Cuba.
2. One of the best things of travelling is the food. I know this one seems a little strange, but it’s definitely true. You’re going to try some interesting things you never even imagined. The combinations of certain foods will baffle you. Every place has their own very individual dish, and yes, Britain is mainly a series of different foods, but goodness gracious, it will be the best fish and chips you ever had. And when you go to Peru, you will have never thought of eating gerbils, but you’ll probably try it, just for the experience.
3. The people. The way they talk, the way they walk, the way they dress. They talk with such interesting accents that eventually you may adopt, and suddenly you find yourself wearing a sari from India. Everything is so miraculously different, but it’s oh so interesting. And the longer you stay, the more it feels like you could live there. Because in some way, all these people aren’t too different. And they remind you of home. Home is where the heart is, after all.
4. A big one here is the culture. Isn’t that why people mostly go anywhere? In Japan, they mix the modern times with things of the past. They combine them to make it what it is. Or in Rio de Janeiro it’s always the best of times, with so much liveliness and excitement all around. The culture is the one thing that makes a place what it is.
5. You’ll never regret your decision. I know I’m never going to say, “I wish that spring break I stayed home instead of making memories with my friends in the streets of London, England.” And I know I’m not going to say that after this spring break either when I go to New York, New York, with some of the best friends I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the high school experience with. Probably in the future, I’m never going to regret spending my money on a trip to Japan with the love of my life. Why would I? That’s what living the dream is right there.
6. You get the experience of what it’s like to sit for a very long amount of time. The idea of it sounds fun, but when you’re actually doing it, maybe not so much. But doesn’t it sound fun to sit in a car for hours, singing songs, sharing secrets or playing the licence plate game, all while you’re on your way to some new and exciting place? Or being on a train and experiencing what it’s like to hear the actual “choo choo”? Or to sit on a plane and gaze at the clouds and sunsets when you’re hundreds of miles in the air?
7. You’ll discover so many new things. Maybe when you go to eat dinner, the only eating utensil you are provided with are chopsticks. And guess what? You don’t know how to use chopsticks! So, you end up taking the whole time that was suppose to be used for eating for learning how to use chopsticks. But in the end, you’re pretty happy that you learned how to use chopsticks, even though you didn’t really get to eat much.
8. You’ll learn that not every country is the same, and that you might need to watch what you do and what you say, because it might give the wrong impression. People believe in different things and they talk differently. Like how in London, they say toilet instead of washroom. So you may get a few funny looks if you ask, “Excuse me. But do you know where I could find a washroom?”
9. You’ll realize how valuable a map is to people. Or asking for directions. Because once you’re that tourist that needs to ask “Where do I find (fill in the blank)?” you’ll be very grateful when you actually find where you’re trying to get. So don’t be hesitant to find a map or ask for directions when you first get somewhere, because the transportation can be very different once you’re in a strange setting. For the first little while, it can feel very weird when you’re in a vehicle on the other side of the road.
10. You’ll realize how much you miss home. Yes, there will definitely come a point in time where you think to yourself, “Hey, I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing,” or, “Does Mr. Snuggles miss me?” This is when you’re going to look back and think about how much you wanna go home and snuggle up in your own bed and smile to yourself and realize how much you love home.
Travelling gives perks to the traveller, so many perks, and this is just a few of them. When you go on a trip, you’re going to laugh and smile and cry (hopefully happy tears) and feel so energized and excited, but most of all, you’re going to want to go back. So I hope you’ve started packing your suitcase, booking your tickets, and mapped out your destination, because this is where your dream vacation starts. Are you ready to take the trip of a lifetime?
Elizabeth Nygren is in Grade 12 at Prince Charles Secondary School. The Teen Take is co-ordinated by the Teen Action Committee.