New clothing and technology are great gifts when wrapped up under the Christmas tree. However, nothing can really replace the wonder of a trip abroad. Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or to give to friends and family, here are six reasons why travel is the best holiday gift.
One of the greatest things about millennials is that they are more likely to value experiences over belongings. Millennials realize that life is short and better spent living adventurously. With the time and money you have, you might as well invest in making life as colorful, memorable and exciting as possible.
For most people, travel combines a lot of the best things in life: great food, exploration, adventure, music, culture and entertainment. Once the thrill of opening up a brand new gift is over, the wonder of a typical holiday present is gone. When you travel, you get to experience the excitement of an entire international journey and make memories that last a lifetime.
It may sound cliché, but travel is genuinely the gift that keeps on giving. Once you go abroad and immerse yourself in another language and culture, you come back home with a new perspective on the world. There is so much to experience and understand during your travels. By the end of your trip, you’ll have grown from the experience in a multitude of ways, from confidence to maturity.
Traveling is something meant to be shared with others. Unlike most gifts, travel can bring you closer to loved ones and can lead you to new friendships in unexpected places. Community – not materialism – is what we crave more than anything as human beings, and travel adds an extra layer of adventure. You’ll have the opportunity to experience communities vastly different than your own and make fast, deep connections with the people who are a part of them.
Consider this: who on their death bed thinks, “I wish I would have traveled less.” Life should be about enriching, exciting experiences and there are few things that offer adventure and wanderlust as much as travel. Buyer’s remorse is a lot more likely to haunt you if you’ve been purchasing unnecessary material objects.
One of the major benefits of travel is how it forces you to look inward at your own behavior, culture and customs. You start to see your own society and privilege from an objective, global perspective. It can be helpful and empowering to understand exactly what kind of role you fill in this crazy world.
Travel isn’t a one time experience, which is why it can always be the best holiday gift. No matter how many times you’ve been abroad, there are endless opportunities to see and experience something new. Whether it is the Seven Wonders of the World or the modern marvels of each nation, it is likely you haven’t seen everything. There are also many different ways to travel, all providing their own unique experience. From interning abroad to participating in a nature retreat, you’ll see even the same cities with different eyes.
Photos:
1. based on vancouver plane tickets, by jm3 on Flickr, CC-by-SA 2.0
2. based on traveling…, by Victor Camilo, CC-by-ND 2.0
3. based on Christmas presents under the tree, by Alan Cleaver, CC-by-2.0