3 Reasons to Travel While You’re Young

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The other night, I had a conversation with a young woman who had a number of decisions ahead of her, one of which was whether she should go to grad school or travel the world.

I told her to travel. Hands down. No excuse. Just go.

Travel While You're Young

Photo credit: Flickr (Creative Commons)

She sighed.

“Yeah, but…”

Never were more fatal words spoken.

Yeah, but… what about debt?
Yeah, but… what about my job?
Yeah, but… what about my boyfriend (or dog or car or whatever)?

“Yeah, but…” is pernicious. Because it makes it sound like we have the best of intentions when really we are just too scared to do what we should.

It allows us to be cowards, while sounding noble.

Most people I know who waited to travel the world never did. Conversely, plenty of people who waited for grad school or a steady job and traveled still did those things — eventually.

Be careful of the yeah-but. The yeah-but will kill your dreams.

I was so stirred by this conversation that I shared it with a group of about thirty young adults last night, many who were asking these very questions.

The life you’ve always wanted

When you get older, life seems to just sort of happen to you. Your youth is a time of total empowerment.

You get to do what you want. As you mature and gain new responsibilities, you have to be very intentional about making sure you don’t lose sight of what’s important.

So if you still have a reasonable amount of control over your circumstances, you should do what really matters. Because life won’t always be just about you.

During early adulthood, your worldview is still being formed. It’s important to steward this time — to give yourself opportunities to grow. A good way to do that is to travel.

So, young person, travel.

Travel wide and far.
Travel boldly.
Travel with full abandon.

You will regret few risks you take, when it comes to this. I promise you.

There are three reasons to travel while you’re young:

1. Traveling teaches you to live an adventure

When you look back on your life, you will have moments of which you are proud and maybe a few you regret. It’s likely that the following won’t be on the latter list:

  • Bicycled across the Golden Gate Bridge.
  • Appeared on Italian TV.
  • Hiked a Mayan ruin.
  • Learned Spanish in three months.
  • Toured Europe by train.

They’re not on mine (fun fact: I’ve done all of the above).

What, then, will be?

  • Holding back.
  • Being afraid.
  • Making excuses.
  • Not taking more risks.
  • Waiting.

While you’re young, you should travel.

You should take the time to see the world and taste the fullness of life. It’s worth whatever investment or money or sacrifice of time required on your part.

It’s not about being a tourist. It’s about experiencing true risk and adventure so you don’t have to live in fear for the rest of your life.

2. Traveling helps you encounter compassion

In your youth, you will make choices that will define you. The disciplines you begin now will be with you for the rest of your life.

Traveling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you.

If you go to southeast Asia, you may encounter the slave trade. If eastern Europe, you may see the effects of genocide and religious persecution. If Haiti, you’ll witness the the ugly side Western paternalism.

Your heart will break.

You will begin to understand that the world is both a big and small place. You will have a new-found respect for the pain and suffering that over half of the world takes for granted on a daily basis. And you will feel more connected to your fellow human beings in a deep and lasting way.

You will learn to care.

3. Traveling allows you to get some culture

While you’re still young, you should get cultured. Get to know the world and the magnificent people that fill it.

There’s nothing quite like walking alongside the Coliseum or seeing Michelangelo’s David in person. I can describe the city of San Juan and its amazing beaches and historic sites to you, but you really have to see it for yourself to experience it. You can read all the books in the world about the Great Wall of China or The Louvre, but being there is a different story.

The world is a stunning place, full of outstanding works of art. See it.

Do this while you’re still young. Do not squander this time. You will never have it again.

You have a crucial opportunity to invest in the next season of your life now. Whatever you sow, you will eventually reap.

Please. For your sake, do this.

You won’t always be young. And life won’t always be just about you. So travel. Experience the world for all it’s worth. Become a person of culture, adventure, and compassion.

“What if I’m not young?”

Travel, anyway. It may not be easy to do, but find a way to get out of your comfort zone. It’s really never too late.

But if you haven’t gotten sucked into the routine of life yet, I implore you — travel. It will never be easier than it is right now for you to do that which really matters.

If you’re young, have you traveled yet? Have you seen what the world has to offer and how it can change you? What’s holding you back?

If you’re older, did you travel when you were young? What regrets do you have?

Join the discussion in the comments.

Reading material

If you’re ready to step off the beaten path, here are a few travel companions I recommend:

And if you’re looking to travel with a purpose, consider going on a mission trip. I highly recommend The World Race.

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*Photo credit: kokorowa (Creative Commons)

Disclosure: Some of the above links are affiliate links.

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About the Author

Jeff Goins

I help people tell better stories and make a difference in the world. I live in Tennessee with my wife and dog. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

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  • Mugalianemory

    I completely agree with this. I graduated high school back in june (class of 11) and currently I am living in germany after having spent the summer traveling the medditerranean and eastern europe; its been an amazing, eye-opening experience and I still have 6 months before I return home to L.A., I have been bit by the traveling bug and cannot wait to travel more in the future. I highly reccomend post-school traveling to everyone!

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      love Mediterranean culture.

  • Brendan

    A really good article. I loved reading it.
    I am not sure that it is a good idea for me personally to give up my job and go travelling.
    But (using annual leave) some of the things that Jeff Goins has written about in his article I have found at……………..Esperanto congresses!
    A friend of mine who is an Esperantist persuaded me to learn a bit of Esperanto. I began by teaching myself some from the internet, which is quite easy to do. Esperanto is an artificial language that is designed to be easy to learn and it was intended that, with this language, people from around the world would be able to communicate and be friends with each other. Every Summer, there is a World Esperanto Congress, which is held in a different place every year. Hundreds of Esperanto speakers come to it from all over the world and people there try to speak only Esperanto. (If you speak any other language, people may say to you ”Cxu vi krokodilas?” – literally “Are you crocodiling?”)
    I have been to 3 of these congresses in Europe and I am going to this year’s congress in Hanoi. And, I hope, next year’s congress in Reykjavik.
    I have also been to several Esperanto holidays and national congresses, which are organized on a much smaller scale.
    I regret that I have so far not been to any of the Esperanto congresses and get-togethers that are just for young people.
    At the Esperanto congresses and gatherings that I have been to, I have always found there to be a very warm, peaceful atmosphere. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      interesting.

  • http://thesfchronicles.wordpress.com/ llleona

    I came across this on someone’s Facebook status and I wholeheartedly agree.  My favourite stories and memories come from the time when I was living abroad in Europe.  Do it while you’re young, mobile, and have no attachments. 

    Thanks for this!

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      well said.

  • Kayleigh

    I’m very interested in going on something like “The World Race”, however, since I have no religious affiliation, I was wondering if you know of other service trips that do not, for example– require you to be Christian? Thanks!!

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Hey Kayleigh. I don’t know of anything specific, but this website might help: http://www.diwyy.com/

  • Vikram

    But where to travel? And how? Do I just buy a ticket to somewhere and then what?

    I’m graduating soon and have 2 months to travel the world before I start work

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Hi Vikram. That’s up to you.

  • Anonymous

    Was recommended this blog by a friend. Inspiration to the extent that I feel like packing my bags and off to an unexplored region. Energy flows in the writing!

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Wow. Thanks!

  • http://lakeeffectlife.wordpress.com/ Kara

    Studying abroad was the best decision of my college career!
    Not only does it give you the opportunity to travel, but also to live (even if
    it is for a short time) in another culture, in another country. What a
    beautiful time of life with no responsibility and absolute freedom. Plus with
    tuition exchange, I paid the same amount for schooling as I would have at my
    home university and my travel there and back was covered by scholarship.
    Studying abroad also gives you the travel bug…

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      ditto. thanks for sharing, Kara.

  • Tanti Susilawati

    Hi Jeff, thank you for sharing. It is indeed rewarding to travel, and I always dream of doing it more (at least  balancing between work and travel, for now). I also know lots of people in my country (Indonesia) who want to travel far and experience the richness in other cultures, but are hampered by the economic constraints. For us it is harder to travel to other countries, which for most of them, requires visa, and to get a visa, often the embassies would ask for a bank account.
    For the haves it is no problem, but for those who still struggle even to meet their basic needs, traveling is  only a dream.
    Since I was 14 I had a dream to travel to Italy, and for that I learned Italian by myself for years, until I got a chance to enroll to a formal course and a year later, won a scholarship to Italy. I had to wait for 13 years for that big dream to come true!
    So since I won a scholarship, the visa was not a problem. When I stayed there for a year in Italy, I took advantage of every holiday I had to explore Italy (from north to south) and some other countries in Europe. I did not have much money but I joined hospitalityclub and was often hosted by nice people. Until now I still consider it as the most beautiful period of my life, and I am determined to repeat it again, over and over again.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Love Italy.

  • Jake

    Hello Jeff,

    This is my first time reading your blog and I must say I am impressed. I operate a travel blog myself and this post has been quite the inspiration for me to continue writing better stories and recounting my experiences. http://www.jakeonajaunt.com if any of you would care to see it or to reach me.

    I couldn’t agree more with your post. I am 27 years of age and I have been now to 41 different countries on this Earth. The majority of them by myself. Some I was in for 7 months, some I graced for only a few days. Either way, I will never regret what I have seen or done or the choices/decisions I made while traveling. I wholeheartedly agree with your statement of ‘just go’. Recently, I asked myself “If I died tomorrow, what would I have always wished I had done?” So, long story short I just finished an adventure from Lisbon, Portugal to Shanghai, China by land. It took me three months and it was undoubtedly one of the best experiences I have ever had.

    Something I can add to your list of reasons to venture out is that travel is a form of education. Not only does it require you to be more compassionate and/or cultured, but you educate yourself as you travel either directly or indirectly. This can be through an experience (I wonder why this is? Perhaps I should read about it?) or knowing more about yourself (I am down to my last 50 bucks, how am I going to survive? Find a job?) or meeting people who share their education/experiences with you and you take away from that. And like education, a travel experience is something that nobody can ever take away from you. You can lose your job and not be able to pay your mortgage/lose your house. You can embark on a business venture and it may not work out. A bad divorce/crime/fire/disaster can rob you of all your possessions you worked so hard to obtain. However, with education (formal or informal) and a desire to succeed, it does not matter what obstacles life puts in your path, you will persevere and overcome them. I will always value higher the unique education I received while traveling than my formal four years of University.

    If any of you reading this want to travel and know how I did it, or ask any question about how to get away/where to go/how to afford it/how I afforded it, I would be more than happy to tell you everything I know. I would gladly offer this information in the hope that it will encourage you to see this Planet and receive the best education that I believe you can obtain. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Thanks, Jake! Totally agree that travel is education. Good point.

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  • Bia p

    I love traveling! Good reasons for that!

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      thanks!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/ANup-Mech/594660028 ANup Mech

    but what if i dont have the moneyy ???

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      there are lots of grants, scholarships, and cheap opportunities. it doesn’t have to be expensive. i know people who live off of less by traveling the world than they could staying in one place. if you want to go, you can find a way to make it work.

  • Britt

    I love this article. I am currently in a career I dont love and make good money. I have comfort of “home” and frankly, I am unsatisfied. I crave adventure and seeing the world. I came across teaching opportunities in South Korea and thought that was way to risky and far too crazy. After reaching one dead end after another at home I started asking myself “why not?” I hear stories of travel and teaching and experiences from other who taught overseas, and they were fantastic. It will be hard and I will miss my family, but after reading this article it confirmed that adventurous hearts need to be fed, and will never calm down unless they are satisfied. Great article, very inspiring. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      very cool, Britt. good luck!

  • Spantador Ouro

    ‘… many of which… ‘ – ungrammatical.

  • Johnbirch

    So true. If you do not go when young you will turn round and suddenly there is a family and mortgage and career and so on – all wonderful in themselves, but all things that you cannot drop and go away for three months or more. Once you are on that career/family/home path there is no getting off it for at least 2-3 DECADES. 

    Travel when you are in your late teens or early 20s – or wait until retirement.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      thanks for sharing the realities of life and the opportunity you have while you’re young, john.

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  • Gmail

    Dumb. you don’t need to be “young” to do any of this. In fact, it will probably be easier to do once you are older and have tons of caaaaash mmmmmmoooooooney since you have a job. Fuck off hippie

  • Rose

    I just graduated from college and I am paying around 60K in loans.  I’m saving every penny I can and hopefully I will be able to go to Stockhom, Stuttgart and amsterdam in june.  Luckily, I have friends that can host me there. Couchsurfing is great!!!  I’m trying to go to one continent every year and travel while I’m in my 20s.  It’s very hard but I really think it’s achievable.  Nowadays, with websites everywhere, it is guaranteed you can find deals.  I think that unless you are under bad circumstances, then it’s impossible, if not, you’re just putting excuses and before you know it you will be too old or to tied up to go to the places you always thought of

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      good for you, Rose. have a great trip!

  • tasneem akolawala

    as much as this article inspires me.. Sounds pretty unreasonable. I love travelling and everything that is attached to it. I find my inspiration in travelling. However, could you please suggest how this young one could just get out and travel without a job or any money in her bank account. To put it simply my father does not own a real estate company and to travel 300 kilometers back home takes some amount of planning. This article makes me want to get out and conquer the world. but the next second it makes me feel like a nincompoop hippy. If you think im wrong, please suggest how a person like me could see all the wonders or cycle on the great wall of china. maybe you’d expect me to jet ski my way across the oceans and walk past the himalayas. But again, you need money to buy a jet ski and I couldnt just tread through himalayas without equipment or food or a lot of other things for that matter. Please suggest remedies for this thirsty traveller

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Hi Tasneem. Yes, you will need money. But the good news is it doesn’t have to be super-expensive. I suggest spending some time online searching for travel grants, affordable lodging, and other opportunities. There are resources available to those willing to do the work.

  • http://www.turndog-millionaire.com/ Turndog Millionaire

    Great post!

    my biggest fear is the looming feeling of ‘What if’ (it’s actually what my story is about, but that’s another conversation all together). I travelled Australia when i was 19 and loved it! I’ve worked in America and loved it! I plan on doing more travelling and so far haven’t done it. It makes me so angry that i’ve not done more

    I hate the idea of being 60, looking back and saying “well i could of done this and i could of done that but…”

    Stupid But, the entire word should be banished to the dark depths of hell!

    Well anyways, great post and i’m sure it’s inspired many people to do just say ‘The Hell With It’

    Matt (Turndog Millionaire) 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      thanks, Matt. that’s the idea: live without regrets (as much as you can).

  • Wongshyongwei

    Jeff glad to hear there is some person posting up this type of story !! Truly Amazing !! Oh yeah I also have done some places b4 like Seoul, New Zealand North to South, Bali, Gong Zhou, Macau, Vietnam ( Ho Chi Ming) & Coming end of march Taiwan around the Island till April !! All Backpack my self !! Planing to go on a Europe trip next year b4 25 years old !! So far the best experience for me is when i was in New Zealand South Island Dunedin I slept near Mac Donald Restaurant !! There was this I think he was a Mouri Playing a jazz music with a saxophone !! I enjoyed his musics so much till the next morning !! Oh yeah and i also done Bungee Jump at Queens town Mountain, Para Gliding Opposite Queens town and Mountain Biking at Queens town 99% Down hill ( Must Try better then roller coaster ride ) !! 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      wow! sounds like you’ve done a lot. very cool. I really enjoyed Taiwan when I was there.

  • Brittynic11

    I studied abroad in Santiago, Chile for a year and then returned to teach English for another year. Six months into the year I decided I wanted to see somewhere new, so I packed my bags and moved to France. I’m in Paris now learning French, looking for English teaching jobs and enjoying a good vin from time to time. La vie est belle :)  

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      I would love to visit Chile.

  • Blnaq

    In 1969, I dropped out of college, got on a bus all by my lonesome in Tijuana Mexico which took me to Mexico City. From there I had a few days to see the sights and then caught a plane to Managua, Nicaragua.

    That was the BEGINNING and I have never looked back.

    PS – pretty gusty for a GIRL (that was broke) back then

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      amazing.

  • Anonymous

    Jeff,

    Great article and great site! One of my Facebook friends posted a link to this article and I was like, “Hey! That’s my cousin!” I’m not sure we’ve seen each other since maybe when we were kids, and that’s on me since I missed the last family reunion. It is indeed a small world. And although we really don’t know each other, you wouldn’t believe how pertinent this is in my life right now. Keep up the good work!
    - Preston Hughes

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Wow. Great to hear from you, Preston!

  • Jessica Snow

    Over the course of my eighteen years of life, I’ve learned that I thrive on new experiences: learning new things, meeting new people and seeing new places. Traveling is the only way I’ve found that integrates all three into a single, individual, beautiful entity. I’ve been on my own for 3 years now (I’m from the U.S. by the way) and my one true aspiration is to see the world.

    As things have worked out for me, I now have an apartment with my fiancee of five years. Every day with him is an adventure, and any travel I could experience would be lessened without him. We’re working to save money so that we can go places together (and eventually relocate to Japan).

    However…the longer we’re here, the more I feel those dreams are drifting away. It’s like an impending storm cloud in the distance, and the closer it gets, the more I just want to take what we have and go. Abandon this place that I already know so well. See the country.

    This article and the comments I’ve read have only strengthened the feeling.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      That’s a hard place to be, Jessica. I can relate. At the same time, just while there are times when we must go on journeys to discover ourselves, there are other times when we must remain to learn other lessons. All the best.

  • Avik Saha

    Very true…I try to see as much places as I can every year….

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Love it.

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