Saint Augustine once said that “The World is like a book and those who don’t travel only read one page”. These words are one reason traveling is the best form of education. The tourism market in itself is worth 40 billion in Europe. The world is filled with immense wonders, experiences and once in lifetime opportunities that could blow your mind away. Imagine yourself camping beneath the Aurora Borealis in Canada or hiking through the Amazon forest or meandering through a village in Ghana.
A lot of knowledge is experienced through a book in a classroom and you can experience adventures through reading them but this doesn’t compare to experiencing the real thing. It is important that you visit the world so as to broaden your intellectual, spiritual and cultural education like you have never before.
Here are six reasons why traveling is the best education:
Learn New Languages
You could learn a new language in school throughout the course of a few years, this can be nice, but you wouldn’t get much practice as it would be hard for you to get the native speakers of that language to help you practice on the daily.
But what if you were to travel to that actual country and meet the native speakers and learn the language from them. Within a month or less, you would be fluent in that language. This is because all the things that you will be consuming will be in that language, from the music to directions of where you’re going. Your brain will be forced to adapt and so it will by learning the local dialect.
You can also learn the language before you visit the place through a book or an audio guide. These will help you get a footing of what to expect.
After getting the basics, it’s time that you practice by interacting with the native speakers. This will help stretch and hasten your learning capabilities. To know if you’ve really learned the language, try to listen to an audiobook of your favorite childhood book in the new language. If you understand it, then you’ve succeeded in learning a new language. You can go ahead and write essay topics and afterward do good compare and contrast essay topics.
Cultural Differences
Traveling allows you to learn a lot about other cultures
When you travel, you get to explore some new things about other people. You get to see how people approach life from a different angle and how their way of life affects their daily living.
Cultural differences can be good as they awaken to different possibilities and ways of doing things out there. At first, you may experience culture shock but after some time, things will cool down and you will start enjoying the new experience. From the music to the food and clothing, do not be afraid to try it all. Sometimes, the food might not look appealing to the eyes but you are here to experience something new so go ahead and dig in.
If it’s the music, don’t be afraid to dance. No matter how silly you might end up looking, go ahead and pull out your best moves for the world to see. Wear that traditional wear and go to that village wedding and dance like you’ve never danced before! Be part of the local community.
But, before all this, make sure to do your research so that you know exactly what to expect so as not to offend the local people. Different cultures prefer different things so do not be hasty to judge, if you can’t participate in their traditions, try not be close by in times of events or ceremonies.
Cultural Similarities
Sometimes when we travel, we tend to meet people with the same values as us. These cultural similarities are the ones that bring us together, we enjoy them as we feel some sense of brotherhood.
Go around and see if you have a shared love for art or food or even dancing. Whatever it may be, do not be afraid to explore. If you can add something to the similarities please do, but after getting permission from the locals so as not to offend anyone. The similarities can also be in the language, social etiquette or moral values, these can be a good place for you to start learning.
You can explore how the same thing can be approached differently, such as preparing a meal – your culture could be accustomed to preparing a meal a certain way but the new one does it differently. You may find that they taste the same or maybe the other culture’s tastes better.
Also, the same words in your language could mean different things in both cultures.
History
When you travel to another country, you get to learn about the place up close. You get to experience their history whether good or bad. You get to explore hidden cities and divine creatures that could not be found in your climate.
The flora and fauna of the new country can date back to thousands of years and you will get to unearth all this. You might get to see sacred trees that belong to generations that believe in ancestral spirits, you will discover tales of great heroes and heroines that influenced the past. Traveling will also help you realign some of the greatest moments in history; in some cases, the history that is taught in schools is skewed to favor one side of the story.
Do not be afraid to go through the indigenous texts of the kings and gods, explore their art and stand beneath the temples and pyramids that they built.
Once you are able to under the people’s culture, you are now on the road to understand their way of life, how their politics is structured together with the society and what motivates them. Take your time when going through history so that all the greatness around you can really soak in.
Attain Independence
Traveling is the best way to tests one’s limits, you will be on the road alone exploring this new culture with no one to guide you but the stars. No matter how good of a planner you may be, chances are that things will not go to plan and you will be forced to adapt and innovate on the spot.
Such things will help you learn how to tackle real-world problems that you would not have been able to handle if you were stuck in a classroom. Traveling helps know how to safely keep your things such as passports and money, you get to learn how to be vigilant when in a new locale as you don’t know anybody. You will learn how to bargain when you visit local markets and shops and if you didn’t know how to cook, this just might be your chance to learn how to.
Do not be afraid to go and experience the new city. Take a long walk and when tired stop at a cafe, order a plate of local cuisines and soak in being in this new city alone without a worry in the world.
Discover Yourself
When you travel, you get to experience and learn things about you that you didn’t know or otherwise could never have known. When you are in new places, experiencing new things and in unfamiliar settings, certain traits about you come to the fore. Many have been quoted saying that they found themselves after traveling alone. Travel today, who knows what you’ll discover!
Takeaways
We have come to the end of this great journey, we hope that you take all this to heart and pack a bag and be on your way to your first voyage.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way.
More reading on learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
9 Things to Know About Creative Visual Design Content
8 Presenter Mistakes That Are Rarely Made Twice
Know These Great Secrets of Collaboration and Co-Creation
How Good Is Your Learning from Failure?
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
Best Form of Education: Why Travelling Is a Guaranteed Method