“It’s the things you don’t do you regret” as the age-old saying goes, and simply, travelling will never be something you regret doing. It allows you to discover new places which you would otherwise never have even thought about and meet new people from all sorts of different backgrounds. As much as home comforts are great, having an urge and drive to experience the world and her wonders will ultimately enrich you in many ways. So, if you need more persuasion, here are a few reasons from the Oyster office why you’ll never regret travelling.
Take your chances now
Many people say they don’t travel because of having a tight budget; being tied down by work and not having time off or being anxious about travelling and the dangers of unknown places. If these become a steadfast belief then travel will not be a priority. Yet, one of the most common regrets in older people is waiting too long to travel and saying ‘you’ll do it when you’re retired’. Pushing back the day you go travelling will end in a carrot-on-a-stick scenario until you’ve realised your chance to travel extensively has gone.
The message behind this is to learn from what people have regretted and to use the time you have now to achieve these travel dreams. Everyone has a bucket list – go out and actually travel there!
Expand your horizons
Travel definitely broadens the mind. Expanding your view on different cultures and traditions will make you a more humbled and worldly person. You begin to appreciate and understand social customs or etiquette that are completely different to your own and which make you realise how large and diverse the world is.
Foods of the world
You may have had a Chinese, Indian or Thai takeaway from your local high-street, but authentic and delicious local cuisines from their respective countries is an experience in itself. Food often is the essence of a country’s culture and through indulging in it one definitely reveals new flavours, textures and maybe the spiciest thing you’ve ever eaten!
Stand out from the crowd
Your CV will look far more impressive and stand out from the crowd if you can say you volunteered, worked or travelled in an exotic and unique place. It proves that you are pro-active enough to step out of your comfort zone and improves your employability for future jobs.
Improve your language skills
If you want to better your secondary school Spanish or French or learn a new language from scratch; travelling can allow this happen. Immersing yourself in a foreign country is the single best way to properly learn a language. By talking to locals you get to practise everyday and slowly build up confidence speaking in a foreign tongue. Also, when you attempt to communicate in shops, ask for directions or negotiate prices; conversing in the local language is a sure way to bypass many cultural differences and nuances. Also it gives you a great morale-boost when you successfully speak in another language.
Finding yourself
Travelling is also a way to learn something about you. People often say that they ‘found themselves’ whilst travelling or that a significant part of their trip taught a lesson or revealed something about themselves which had never surfaced before. This is only learned by challenging a norm and experiencing something different. These challenges can be from travelling alone, travelling with someone for the first time or living in a totally new place. Nevertheless, you learn from experiences and you find you learn more when you are travelling or stepping out of your comfort zone. Once the initial shock or nervousness dissipates you learn that your intuition and judgement will have made you a more rounded and better person.
Where would you like to go?
For any reason, travel for travel’s sake is great reason to get out and see the world. From making fond memories and stories to re-tell to friends and family about that time you climbed a mountain in Canada, to sharing photos with friends you met travelling when you were trekking in Nepal. These memories will always stick in your mind, long after you come back home to work or go to university!
If you’ve been convinced and want to go travelling without any regrets to an amazing corner of the globe, then Oyster can make that a reality. All our staff are travel enthusiasts who want to make every trip and adventure for every applicant unforgettable with no regrets.
Visit our homepage for more information on our destinations and projects available.
