3 Important Reasons to Travel Internationally

We are blessed here in the United States to have much land in our country that we can visit and explore without ever needing to leave our countries boarders. I occasionally get asked why I leave the country to explore when there is so much land here in the US that I have not yet seen. The answer is simple...traveling is more than simply visiting new places.

1) Experience new culture..

Enjoying a mango with the local kids

Although the culture is different across the US we all have the same basic values and principles. When we travel out of the country we get to see and talk with people who have lived such different lives than us it sometimes seems as though we are on living on different planets. Opening one's eyes to new ideas, thoughts and lifestyles is one of the most incredible pieces of international travel.

2) Builds gratitude for our everyday life back home...

For many Nepali people Dahl Bat (pictured here) is all they eat. Twice a day every day their entire life

Often times seeing different lifestyles makes us realize how much we take for granted, and how lucky we really are. Central heating, our own cars, a refrigerator full of food, the opportunity to eat different cuisine from different parts of the world...all items that we really cannot appreciate at the same level until we see entire countries full of people that have none of these opportunities. Not to mention spending time traveling without them makes us really grateful to have them when we return home.

3) Getting out of your comfort zone...

I never would have made it here without releasing control and following the locals

Sometimes its good to step outside the familiar and shake things up a bit. Releasing control of the situation is often difficult for many of us who are used to "running the show" back home. It is truly amazing what we experience when we sit back and let life take control. While this can be nearly impossible to do in our lives we have created back home, traveling gives us the perfect opportunity to say "what if" and then sit back and let it happen.

When traveling internationally it is best to go in with no expectations. Anything we picture in our minds beforehand or ideas we come up with about how it "should be" will only limit our opportunities to truly see the beauty of where are. Doing this deepens not only our experience while traveling but also our lives back home in way that photos taken and stories told never could.

If you have never traveled out of the country before, there is no time like the present. If it is has been a while since you have ventured beyond our countries boarders, perhaps it is time to renew your passport and start planning.