Hello there fellow travel enthusiast or travel enthusiast to-be, or maybe even, person who just stumbled on this blog looking for something to read. I want to ask you an honest question: Have you ever wondered what is over the horizon from where you currently live? Or have you always wanted to visit somewhere but for some reason you just never did? Maybe you saw a picture of somewhere online or on a post card and thought ‘I really want to go there!’ Those azure seas met with white beaches lined with palm trees or vast wildernesses with incredible wildlife that you only ever see on T.V. Of course, you did! Everyone is like that.
However, not everybody does it, primarily due to a lack of confidence or money. As long as you have a job, the money side of this equation is fairly easily solvable, but what about the confidence building side? Quite often, buying the ticket can be the hardest part (especially for us Yorkshire folk who are notoriously tight-fisted with money, am i right fellas!) as you are paying to put yourself into the unknown, and the mere thought of getting on a plane can be daunting. But once you have the ticket bought you can rest assured that things are going to drastically change for your confidence levels from here on.
Develops You as a Person
Travelling is a first-class ticket out of your comfort zone. It may even be the first time you have gotten on a plane, train or boat.
You are going somewhere unfamiliar and that is both slightly terrifying and exciting. You are met with all manner of situations that mould you into a different person, making you more adaptable as you cope in different environments and situations, e.g when staying in a hostel room with 11 other people, when getting lost in an unfamiliar city, or simply navigating the tube system. This familiarity with the unknown helps you assess new experiences confidently where others may crumble.
You are Always Learning
Culture makes up a big part of why countries are the way they are and how people act and think and interact with each other. Learning about the culture of the country you are visiting broadens your knowledge and gives you opportunities to take part in cultural practices. A great example of this is La Tomatina, the Spanish festival where tomatoes are thrown at each other. Yes, it’s a waste of food but it does look a lot of fun. There’s also the chance to learn about cultural and historical heroes, or to learn about the history and geography of the region you are in by visiting galleries and museums. This all allows you to be more confident in conversations regarding the places and practices you experience, as you have actively lived them.
You are Always Exploring
The sun is shining, you’re up early, you’ve got your sun screen on and have a map in hand (old school). You are ready to leave your hotel/hostel/Airbnb to start a day of new sounds, smells and experiences. This spark of intrigue makes you feel like a kid again and it’s exciting. Dating back to early explorers who would venture out for months on-end on a ship, we still get a kick out of exploration and looking to see ‘what’s over there?’
Travelling Makes You More Interesting
Having all these experiences not only broadens your mind and horizons, but they also give you stories to tell people. These stories can be told to fellow travelers along your journey or people who hang on your every word once you are back home. Just imagine the look on people’s faces when you tell them you snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef, or trekked through a jungle in Indonesia, or even visited an island overrun with cats! You could very well inspire others to travel as a result of your photos and stories. People who travel as a result of your stories puts you as a story-telling figurehead and they may often come to you with questions on best places to visit, or how to make preparations for travelling. How much more confident do you reckon you would be if you knew people looked to you for advice and information?
Meeting New People
This is one of my favourites. This world is made up of all manner of people with different upbringings, cultures, viewpoints on life and communicating with as many different people as possible will develop your communicative skills (especially when speaking to people whose native language isn’t your own) to the point where the people you left back home won’t recognise this new version of you, and that’s a good thing. Self-development ensures we change into better versions of ourselves. There’s a very real chance you will make friends for life at every single place you stop at, ensuring you stay there long enough to talk to people in some depth. Having friends from all over the world is enriching, improves communicative confidence and ensures you have a couch to sleep on whenever you are in the neighborhood, saving you $$$ on hotels.
Independence
Once we become ‘know-it-all’ teenagers we pretty much want to have our own independence, right? Well, when travelling you are all you have for the most part and every decision (or most of them if travelling with a buddy) is yours. Where to eat, where to visit, who to talk to, it’s all up to you. This can be a little daunting at first but nothing builds confidence quite like independence and self-reliance. See! you can be in charge. You probably just didn’t realise you had it in you.
Summary
In summary, what will travelling do for your confidence levels?
Well, you are out of your comfort zone, you’re making decisions for yourself and communicating with all sorts of people, from bargaining prices with street vendors to socialising with strangers. You are going to unfamiliar places alone, bonding and friendship building with people along the way. You are dealing with money and possibly holding a job, adding further responsibility to your confidence building CV. All of these experiences add up and develop your confidence beyond measure. Now, grab that passport that’s gathering dust and go change yourself for the better.
Stay Confident,
Luke
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