Traveling, for some reason, has become somewhat of a yearly treat rather than a regular occurrence. This should not be the case, especially for the youths of the world whose minds, personalities, and futures are still in formation. Travel is a tool that everyone should utilize as much as possible, so read on and discover why!
Experiences
This may seem obvious, that travel gives you new experiences, but it's a particularly important aspect that affects young travelers. Whether you're traveling with young children or young adults, the experiences that come from seeing the world make all the difference in their lives. Many people, I have come to realize, will never leave their hometowns but stay in their little microcosmic lives forever. This may make them happy, and that's fine for them, but it doesn't leave much room for obtaining new experiences, learning about different cultures, meeting people from around the world, and simply finding yourself when you're away from the familiarity of home. Life happens when you aren't looking, or so the cliched saying goes. When you're traveling everything is unexpected from the kitschy yet cool souvenirs you find in an airport shop to the crazy, spontaneous concert in the street you saw in New Orleans. Things happen, life happens, and when you leave your porch and travel, you can see it unfolding and that's a magical thing.
Adventure
We're all about adventure here at Adventure Student Travel. It's what spurs many people to initially pack that bag and load up the car. There's no limit to the number of adventures you can have while traveling. For example, when I was fourteen I went to Africa and went on wildlife safaris in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, took a hot air balloon ride over the Masai River in Kenya, and ate ostrich at a wild game restaurant. That's something I will never ever forget and it gives me a plethora of stories to tell, experiences to share with others. But an adventure could be as small as riding a bike through Central Park or road-tripping with friends along Route 66. Adventure is where you find it and what you make of it so stay positive and keep your eyes peeled.
Eye-Opening
This feeds off of the other reasons you should travel, especially experiences, for what you see and do abroad is truly enlightening. You can hear about the state of the world on the news, see pictures of a disaster area or of poverty but you never truly understand and empathize with a people until you see them firsthand and hear their own stories. Travel gives you that, and is especially powerful in young individuals whose minds and hearts are still forming and maturing. Traveling with younger people allows them to gain an added compassion and empathy but also gratefulness for their own lives, which can be at times taken for granted.
Educational
No matter where you travel you can learn something new. For one thing, travel is excellent for teaching budgeting skills. If you have youths in your group, put them in charge of a portion (or all of it, if you're daring) of the budget and have them account for touring expenses, food, or transportation. This allows them to gain confidence (which we'll talk about next) that they can adapt to their unfamiliar surroundings and use their intelligence to make things work and it also teaches a valuable life lesson, that you can't spend more than you have.
However, you can make travel educational in everything you do. We specialize in educational trips for students and classes and you can find learning behind every corner. Stay in the U.S. and tour New England to learn about the birthplace of America, head to the south for Civil Rights education, try the west coast for Gold Rush and the entertainment industry or tour the Midwest and see what they have to offer in the way of history, agriculture, and more. Check out our blogs on educational tours or give us a call for more information. We'd love to help you plan an educational trip for your students.
Empowering
As I said before, travel is empowering as it can grant, and often does, a sense of self-confidence. Relying on yourself when you're in an unfamiliar environment and succeeding is amazingly self-affirming and reassuring. This works most with young adults who are high school age and shows them that they can be independent and successful and that they'll be all right once they leave home - which, by experience, I can say is a scary thing, am I right?
Youthful Energy
Quite frankly, when you're a young adult, travel comes easier. Spontaneity is simpler when you don't have responsibilities on your plate and, for the most part, you can do as you please. More than that though is the energy that comes with youth that drives you out the door and onto that plane. Many people put off travel saying they need to save more or they'll do it when the kids are grown but if you don't travel now, you'll find it harder and harder to drive yourself onward and out into the world and the prospect of travel will seem more like a dream than a possible reality. Take advantage of your youth and vigor, be spontaneous, and simply go.
