When asked what younger people should do more, Jackie Chan’s encouraging reply in one interview was, "Travel. Money can always be earned." It is an answer that rang true in many people’s minds, triggering a bit of self-reflection for both young and old alike.
But, the real question here is whether it’s wiser to travel during your youth's prime or to save money for unforeseeable lemons that life will throw at you later in life. Choosing between the two could be like holding a double-edged sword, so to see if traveling sooner than later is really worth it, let's take a dive into some of the ups and downs.
Ingenuity and imagination. Starting traveling earlier in life, your financial capacity will probably not take you as far as when you’ve saved travel money over longer years. While in your 20s or 30s, it will be a balancing act of prioritizing where to go and what to spend on. And maybe a lot more resourcefulness and creativity to come up with a gainful but affordable itinerary. But as that saying goes, if there’s a will, there are many ways now to travel.
Worldly exposure opens global connections. Aside from skills, traveling in your earlier years can create and forge longer friendships, granted you keep in touch with those you meet... It's also the perfect time to learn and immerse yourself in different cultural experiences and expand your people skills, learning different cultural values. Getting a glimpse of a country and its behavioral nuances will be an indispensable skill when dealing with foreign contacts in business meetings or other social situations.
Culture Shock and Getting Into the Unknown. It may not always be as pretty as travel pictures show. Because when you're in a new environment with new people who are different from you, and you have no clue how to go about things or who to talk to, it could get scary. The language and cultural barrier is a primary hurdle. Safety can also be another concern. The uncertainties can undoubtedly create stress. But just like anything, the lessons come in braving up to get through.
The younger you are, the more skills you can pick up. Traveling for self-growth means being ready for experiences, good or bad. There’s an advantage in self-development by venturing to new places while you’re younger..
On your travels, there's no doubt that you'll pick up many skills that can hone your craft, but imagine picking them up when you're at your most capable. The knowledge you gain will help give you an advantage to set the building blocks of your life in your older years.
Beyond the comfort zone. It's easy to get stuck in a routine, enjoying the comforts of home and staying in the one place where you can feel safe. Traveling can be terrifying and uncomfortable, but there will be a sense of independence like you've never experienced before. You'll start to see everything in a different light. Perhaps attachments to physical materials will lessen, and a greater appreciation for living may be acquired. When you return to your home, you return a changed person. Soon, you might even want to travel more and more.
Post-travel blues are real. Ever feel that twinge of sadness after seeing the world and returning home? It happens after the contrast between the excitement of travel and the routine of daily life, leaving people feeling lonely and longing for the experiences they had while away.
Getting exposed and understanding this tendency of heightened emotions from the highs of an experience can be beneficial since you can learn to temper expectations, practice to manage emotions and more importantly, get back to the mundane tasks and daily grind essential to keep life going.
So many stories to tell. After all that’s been said and done, this is what really matters in the end. When you're old and gray, you get to tell your grandkids about everything you've done and all the places you've been to.
When you've lived a life full of rich experiences, the money spent, the awkward conversations with locals, or the hardships that come with tripping won't seem to matter all that much.
Life is too short to wait for the perfect moment to travel. You’ll have good and bad experiences, but grab all the opportunities to create more memories while you can. But don’t worry, it’s perfectly okay to travel whenever you want. We all go at our own pace, but there’s no denying that traveling sooner can add a bit more color to your life.
So get ready to go on that trip already before time runs out on you and you miss your flight!
