The 90's generation has proven to be chock-full of adventurous individuals, may of whom want nothing more than to leave it all behind and go on a nice, long trip around the world. Let's face it, our time as adolescences is coming to an end but, for the most part, we are still young and with that comes a unique opportunity. Here are a couple reasons you should travel now while you still have the chance.
1) Uncertain future
At this current moment, I bet most of you reading this could say that, in some shape or form, you are struggling, whether it be financial, emotionally, physically, etc. The economy is in the hole, average health is decreasing due to pollution, and violence from war is increasing across the globe at a steady rate. Times are tough and for those reasons your future is uncertain. Hell, 1.3 million people die every year from car crashes, that's 3,287 people a day! You could die at any moment, for any reason, so why not live every day like it's your last?
And then there's financial security. The concept of having a steady income for an indefinite amount of time. This idea has held people back from achieving their dreams for generations. People fear the idea of not having enough money, of not being able to provide for themselves and their family, or not being able to pay their bills. And because of this thought process, they sacrifice everything to ensure their income stream is secure. But is it really secure? Like I said earlier, the future is uncertain, likewise, so is your income stream. Anything could happen. You could be fired or laid-off, you could get injured and be out of work because of it, or if you own a business, it could crash and burn without any previous indication, so can your bank that holds all of your money. The list goes on and unless you can read the future, you really never know what's around the corner.
2) When you're young you don't have a lot of financial responsibility
Here we go with the money again. Most young adults, especially when fresh out of high school (usually not college, though), are pretty bill free. In other words, they don't have many financial responsibilities yet, ex; house mortgage or rent, kids to feed and put through school, insurance of any kind, etc. This unique time allows you to save up money which you can use to fund your adventures.
Now, their's a misconception out there that you need a lot of money in order to travel. While this isn't entirely false, it's validity has been stretched a bit. With all the different ways to travel, it is a major generalization to say that, without a lot of money, it's impossible to travel. There are numerous ways to trot the globe for under $100. Did you know that you can travel for free across the ocean on a freight ship, so long as you work on the ship for the duration of the trip? Some ships will even pay you! That's just one example of an alternative, low budget travel plan.
There are full-time nomads traveling the world as we speak, with just the possessions on their back to keep them afloat. Many of them live on little to no money. They hitch-hike to their destinations, work on farms for their food (known to many as 'woofers'), and poop wherever they want. The world is their playground and they are free, I mean REALLY free.
So before you take on the responsibilities of the dreaded "adult" (if you ever so choose) take a shot in the dark and go on an adventure, this may be your only chance!
3) Ease your curious mind
If you follow travel blogs such as this one, you probably want to explore the world pretty badly. It makes sense, the world is a massive, beautiful place with endless possibilities and mysteries to discover. Who wouldn't want to experience this nearly infinite plane of existence?
The curious mind has only one cure, to experience the thing it is craving. In other words, if you're curious about the world, the only way to stop being curious is to experience it. Simple right? Usually not, but if you never do it, you're likely to regret it your entire life. Most people don't do this and when you talk to them about it, you can hear the regret in their voice. So then the choice falls to you, would you rather take a shot at your dream and fail or never take a chance in the first place and regret it the rest of your life? On one end you can at least say you tried your hardest and be proud of that, whereas on the other end you'll be ashamed of yourself, and you'll never be able to redeem that.
Even if you don't like what you find, whether it's about yourself or about the world, you'll grow from that knowledge, and in turn, will bring you closer to discovering what truly makes you happy. Dare I even say, it'll bring you closer to your destiny (if you believe in that kind of stuff).
4) Discover more about the world you live in
Most people learn about the world through personal experience. They learn tips and tricks about ways to save money, how to save gas when going on long road trips, how to preserve food when the power goes out, etc. Practical skills like these save you money and therefore time/energy. A lot of adults have learned these life skills through a slow process called trial and error. They fail at something unexpectedly and learn from their mistakes (most of the time). This process can take awhile because most adults in America live a repetitive lifestyle of 9-5's and strict routines, so they miss out on all the learning opportunities.
There are ways to develop these skills much faster, though. You can put yourself out there, go through much more trial and error, and learn more in a shorter amount of time. This method probably isn't very appealing to most but the end result is so worth it. And by developing these skills at a much younger age than normal, you get to use those skills for the rest of your life, which is a huge advantage.
5) Do it just to prove you can
There will always be non-believers, skeptics, and people that simply get genuine pleasure out of denying your ability to do things. They think that since the rest of the world supposedly can't do it, then you shouldn't be able to do it either. Oh, how good it feels to prove them wrong. People that bullied you in high school suddenly become your best friend once you become rich. This is the same situation. If you prove people wrong, actually do the thing you said you were going to, and then show how it has improved your life, those same people that doubted/condemned you will actually start to look up to you. You may even be able to change some stubborn mindsets and motivate people to improve their own life.
Be the center of inspiration for your potentially fellow travelers and show them that it's possible, that ANYTHING is possible. You'll be revered as a hero in the eyes of the doubtful and an example to everyone that is afraid to follow their dreams.
Traveling the world is great and I highly recommend it, especially to young adults for the reasons listed above. Traveling can improve your happiness and overall well-being for you, your soul, and for everyone around you. Life will become more beautiful, the grand schism of things will become grander, and your connection with people from all sections of the Earth will strengthen.
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