Five Things I Love Most About Travel

This year has been a year of change and excitement for me. I left my job in Melbourne, went travelling for three months around Asia, and moved to England.

Travelling and living in countries all over the world has always been a massive dream of mine and it’s been so fulfilling to actually get out there and do it.

After a pretty tough year, I wanted to make sure this year was different, and it certainly has been. I’ve had a year of happiness, adventure and discovery, and I believe I wouldn’t have achieved all these things if I hadn’t travelled.

I’m sure you can tell by now I’m a pretty massive advocate for getting out of your comfort zone to travel, and I want to inspire you to do the same! Travel is not just about having a well-deserved holiday, it makes you more of a well-rounded person, it’s good for the soul, and it’s the best way to educate yourself about the world.

So, here are my top five reasons why I love travel so much, and why you should do it too.

1. New cultures

Learning about how different people live in countries all over the world is eye opening, and it can really pop the bubble you may live in. I love trying to fit in like a local (even though it’s obvious I’m not!) by finding out where they’re eating, shopping and simply just chilling out.

I always make sure to get involved in cultural activities while travelling. In Bangkok for example, we celebrated the Songkran New Year festivities where we participated in a huge water fight. It was the one of the craziest, and one of the most random things I’ve done!

I also love learning how to speak different languages. I find even if you just learn to say ‘hello’, locals tend to respect you a little bit more, which can definitely enrich your experience in their country.

2. Reviving creativity

I find being stuck in the same place, in the same environment can halt your natural creativity. Travelling allows you to experience new cities, new food and new people, which can spur on creativity at lightning speeds. During my recent travels in Asia, I found resting my mind and spending a few weeks soaking up new surroundings, helped me find the creativity to come up with The Emasphere. When you’re bogged down with stress and worry, your brain doesn’t respond well and you can’t work at your finest. For me, having that break brought back the real me.

3. Making friends

Some of the nicest people I know are people I’ve met through travelling. Meeting new friends overseas allows you to expand your friendship group from your circle of friends at home, which can give you a new and refreshing perspective on life. It’s also great to have friends to visit and places to stay around the world.  You never know, they might live in a place you’ve never heard of before – hello new addition to the travel bucket list!

4. Face fears

Travelling gives you confidence to try things you wouldn’t do at home. For example, there’s no way I would go on a scooter or motorbike at home, especially because I get pretty bad car anxiety (long story!). In Ho Cho Minh however, (the home to 1000000000 scooters) I went on a scooter during peak traffic time. Like what?! Travelling makes you face your fears, and I love that. However, there’s still no way I’ll be bungy jumping, sky diving, or eating a cockroach anytime soon!

5. New tastes, new fashion

Now this is an obvious one for me. We all know how much I like good food and fab shopping. So, eating different food and finding cool unknown shops and brands is definitely my materialistic heaven while travelling.

I love discovering unique trinkets, clothes and jewellery from other countries because they’re normally things you wouldn’t find anywhere else. If you’re not afraid to have fun with your style and you like to buy really interesting items, you’ll have a great time shopping in other countries, and you’ll definitely stand out when you get home.

Foodie lovers (yes, me again!) – If you go to the right places (normally where the locals go), you’ll be able to find the restaurants that make real authentic food, and its ohhhh so good, especially in Thailand (how I miss you proper pad thai!).

Whats your favourite thing about travelling?

E. Xx

Need some more travel inspiration? Why not check out my article on Chiang Mai or have a look at my photo journal from Wales.