How Travel Broadens The Mind

There’s something about the atmosphere in an airport that is incomparable.

The hustle and bustle of thousands of people crossing paths, each headed to a different, special destination: Spain, Morocco, Alaska.

Boarding calls are announced and flight attendants with immaculately-coiffed hair await you with big smiles. Passport? Check. Boarding pass? Check. And yet, the good stuff is yet to come.

With an open mind, travel can be one of the most enriching life experiences. Among the stunning landscapes and colourful cultures, you’ll be inspired, discover new passions and develop aspects of yourself you never knew existed. As Henry Miller said, “One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”

So how does travel work its magic?

Getting you out of your comfort zone.

Here’s an average weekday for a uni student: You awaken at an ungodly hour, attend class (sometimes) and then study/ cram for exams. When you’re not at uni, you’re working, because being a student means doing it rough. Though easy in its simplicity, the repetition of a routine for months on end inevitably leads to the well-documented phenomenon: The Rut. You become complacent, and, over time, lose direction and drive. Maybe you feel tired all the time, lacking the motivation for even the smallest of decisions? Travel is your life raft out of that rut. You may have seen hundreds of photos, but the feeling of standing before the Taj Mahal is in a completely different realm altogether.

Encountering the new and unexpected.

The desire to learn, improve and grow is an integral part of human nature. By leaving your everyday life and immersing yourself in the incredibly varied scenery, cultures and people of Earth, you gain fresh perspectives that will remain with you for a lifetime. Surround yourself with beauty - new sights, sounds, smells and tastes – and embrace culture shock. Try that delightfully exotic dish (and no, you probably don’t want to know what’s in it). Learn a new language. Truly engaging with the locals can enhance an experience ten-fold. Often it’s humbling to gain an insight into the lives of others; to see the differences in ideologies and values that distinguish us. Ultimately, kindness and happiness transcend all barriers, and you may find you have more in common than you ever imagined. You won’t be the same having seen the villages of Africa, or the towering cities of China.

Learning you’re capable of much more than you thought.

The experiences that push the boundaries of what you think you are capable of will leave the most lasting impact. While travelling, it’s a battle between you vs. time. Fitting as much as humanly possible into a day is a constant test of your organisational skills. Yet, despite all the planning and itineraries, things will go wrong: being lost in a foreign country, unable to understand the language, misplaced baggage, homesickness… Within a few weeks on the road, you’ll learn things that no amount of sitting in lectures can teach. And until you’re faced with these challenges, you won’t know the extent of your critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Fall into the deep end and you’ll more often swim than sink.

The world is your oyster. What are you waiting for?

Congratulations to Audrey for winning this writing challenge, answering: How Does Travel Broaden The Mind? Audrey wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!