Travel is an addiction, a craving that’s born from an ardent zeal to sojourn the enigmatic lands of the Earth. Your soul is enamored by the bespoken beauty of sunsets and starry nights. Your being is happy to devour the blissful wind that caresses your body and mind. Your senses wrap around the splendor of fecund spectacles and your first love becomes a place, not a person.

And that’s why, we give you enough reasons to tour the length and breadth of this gorgeous world, all on your own.

1. Travel empowers you

Your family cannot accompany you wherever you go. So this leaves you to be your own vanguard. Travel empowers you to step up and take responsibility for your own life. It makes you believe in your highest potential, thanks to the experiences you pick up on the way. You learn how to solve problems, and sometimes even cook your meal. Travel enables you to challenge your boundaries and gain confidence.

2. Travel heals you

Sometimes when life hasn’t been fair or it’s left you with an ache in your heart. Travel comes to your rescue to heal you. By opening yourself to this wondrous world, you’re inviting new ties, friendships, and a higher cause to thrive for. No wonder Liz, in Eat, Pray & Love takes to new roads to heal her wounded spirit. Travel can give you love, it can make you a better person, it can take away the pain or open you up in a thousand ways you never could have imagined. The idea is to allow yourself to bare your heart to a world full of beautiful possibilities and let it heal you.

3. Travel humbles you

When you muster up the courage to step out of your familiar zone, you begin to realize that life is a lot more than ‘me’. It leaves you with a stark epiphany about the magical, wondrous and dazzling things that the world entails. And when you connect to people and things from all walks of life, it dawns on you, that how you’re a part of the collective and the colossal universe, and that feeling is groundbreaking!

4. Travel broadens your horizons

When you’re treading through different lands, you learn. The world becomes your classroom. You learn about cultures, communities, food, people. You unknowingly get attached to things you couldn’t even dream of. You come up with solutions to solve a problem in your own native land and this hearty exchange of knowledge holds you in good stead because it opens up your wooden box for good.

5. Travel teaches you the value of money

Your passion for travel gives you a reality check of your finances. While we have all splurged on family-sponsored vacations, but when it comes to planning our very own itineraries, we begin to understand the nuances and the hard work that goes behind earning that money. We then start investing wisely in our travels, For example – buying the tickets during a sale and well in advance or opting for a stay in a hostel, rather than a hotel.

6. Travel ignites empathy

When you’re out of your bubble and into the real world, you can see, feel and know where people come from. It’s amazing how travel expands your heart and lets you empathize with people from all walks of life. It lets you cut through the threads of caste, creed, religion, and ethnicity because it opens up your heart to people in appreciation. It lets you see the good, the pretty, and the brave that we as humans all possess.

You may not always be a cure, but your compassion and warmth will definitely swelter murky rims of grey and thaw worn-out spirits.

7. Travel lets you relax

Apart from all the valuable lessons that come with your backpack, travel stimulates your being. Chalking out some time from your busy schedule to step out and explore, not only gives you a breather but also helps release stress. Indulging in outdoor activities like rock-climbing, horse riding, boating or trekking can alleviate your life state. Soaking in some Vitamin D along with fresh air makes you a happier person, in the long run.

In sum:

Travel is an alchemy of adventure and learning all rolled in one. While it may sound dreamy, in reality, it’s fraught with a few challenges that we must overcome, for travel is a journey we make into ourselves to see, and harness the potential, the beauty, and the wonder that lies in each one of us.

So let some wanderlust grow on you and see how it changes your life.