This constant state of Wanderlust. I think a lot of my follow travelers can relate to it. Whether you’ve lived abroad for a while or just returned from your recent travels. At one point or another, there will always be that urge. That urge to get out there again, to travel to new and exciting places, meet new people and cultures, the urge to have the time of your life over and over again in a different city, a different country or a different continent.

And even though this feeling is driving me nuts (because it is never soon enough until the the next trip), it is also the best motivator that gets you going. That makes you work harder to save up money, missing out on other good stuff, until you can finally book your next big adventure. But Wanderlust is not only a state of mind for people that have already travelled for a while. Over the years, I’ve spoken to a lot of people, that have expressed their desire to travel, but were always too scared to do so. Or it just wasn’t the right time. Or their parents were not convinced that this would be a smart idea. Or the boyfriend, or the dog. The list goes on and on. And you know what, I totally get it. Moving to another country for the first time is scary. When I was sitting on that plane to New York City 8 years ago, I cried my eyes out. It’s a big step. But it is also the most rewarding one. And here is why.

Personal spirit & open mind

I know you can read this on so many travel blogs, but I will say it anyways. Traveling gives you such a boost in your personal development. I just graduated from High school when I started my adventure in the USA. I knew pretty early that I was going to travel and that my hometown wasn’t big enough anymore. I needed a change. So, I dove into cold waters and followed my intuition that this would be a good thing for me. And it most definitely was.I was used to living with my parents and never had to really care about anything, because it was always taken care of. Moving away to another country gave me a sense of responsibility and independence that I needed. I gained more confidence in my abilities to get shit done and in putting myself out there to experience and try new things. Also, I was more aware of others, kinder and more compassionate and always kept an open mind to meeting new people from different countries and cultures (and trust me, there are a lot of amazing, kind and interesting people out there, so many cultures and traditions that we can learn so much about). This experience truly helped me develop further, always pushing myself to make an effort to learn more about myself and others. I know that I can depend on myself, I can take care of myself, I am able to connect with others and live in any other country as long as I set my mind to it. I most definitely did not have that confidence before I left 8 years ago and it’s gotten even stronger each time I traveled abroad again.

The people you’ll meet, your travel family

Truth is, when I first left Germany, I had a solid group of friends and of course my family back in Germany that I was scared to leave. And to answer one of the main questions that I’ve been hearing a lot over the course of my experience – yes, there is a slide chance that not all of your old friends will stick around when you come back. But that is ok. The ones that are your real friends (sounds so cliche, but it’s true) will always be by your side, no matter how far you or them will be away. Plus, you will meet so many new amazing people along the way, that it’s all worth it.

Despite the fear of leaving people that I cared about, traveling has been the best thing I have ever done because without it, I would’ve not met any of the people that play now such a huge part in my life. I can’t even start to express the love for the people I met throughout my experiences abroad over the years – I ran into some of the greatest people that I now call my best friends. But I am not only talking about longer travel experiences, when I actually lived in a different country – backpacking opens up the opportunity to have exactly that – a travel family. I met amazing backpackers in South America, in Australia, in New Zealand, in Asia from different countries and cultures that were the perfect travel companions for the time being, that shared some very special moments with me and were just as open minded about meeting new people as I was. Traveling opens up the opportunity to go out there and meet incredible personalities from different cultural backgrounds and enables you to learn from one another. The world suddenly becomes home because you know so many people in so many different countries that will be your travel family for a while and that you can always go and visit. And if you are asking me, that is exactly what this world needs right now. Open minds, love and compassion for one another (Can I hear an Amen).

The memories that you make & the stories that you share

Nobody will ever be able to take your travel experiences away from you. The memories you make throughout your travels will stay with you, will shape you in a way and inspire you in your everyday life. But it’s not only that. The stories that you share can inspire and help others, which is exactly the reason why I started this blog. If it serves to convince just a small group of people to get out there more and travel, I feel like my mission is accomplished.  And I am not saying, please quit your job and run out there right away. It doesn’t always need to be ‘go big or go home’. You can start with smaller weekend trips ( I mean, Europe has so many great cities to visit, how many have you seen so far?) and instead of flying to the same place three times a year, how about saving that money for a trip to a place that you’ve never been? You are in charge of your own adventure.

So, let’s travel, shall we?!

These are, of course, only three reasons that I can give you as an answer to why you should travel. The list goes on and on and highly depends on the person, but this should be a good start. A couple weeks ago, I shared a video  by tripoto on my Facebook wall that expressed exactly what I am trying to do here. Because – I urge you to travel.