In our generation, rooted in a world with less border controls and fewer restrictions on travel, a colorful stamped passport is a fashion statement of itself. But what is it about traveling that quenches a particular thirst for millennials? Personally, I cannot wait for the time when I will be accomplishing my goal to see beyond 50% of this planet. Have you ever wondered why wanderlust is innately fulfilling for this generation? Here are some reasons why, and why you should continue in its pursuit.
1) Most Millenials like to be OUTSIDE THE BOX
Have you ever felt a strong distaste of being boxed or limited in a certain way? Like when somebody tells you or dictates to you what you can “only” do or how far you can go? Millennials are gifted with an abundance of limitless creative ideas, skills and talents. Often, the idea of getting stuck in one place forever is one of the most horrible nightmares we would not want to find ourselves in.
Millennials think outside the box and would like to stay ‘out’ for all the right and adventurous reasons. When we see another part of the world from a different perspective, we are immersed in a whole new experience that stays with us for a lifetime. We collect different things from our trips such as photos, post stamps, key chains, clothes, or even intangible things like memories, new friendships, relationships or epiphanies. Whatever it may be, the essential part of the journey is not only about getting hundreds of likes in our Instagram posts, but the fulfillment of unfolding mysteries that we only discover if we go beyond our comfort zone.
2) Traveling is therapy for a seeking soul
The stage in life between achieving a goal and figuring out the next step is the most exciting and, at the same time, nerve-wrecking moment that we all go through. When we have just graduated from college and we’re about to decide which career to take, or when we have just ended a relationship and we try to take a breather, or when we want to take a radical turn from one career to another, we may find ourselves feeling the need to flee. When we are tempted to search for answers and long for a clearer direction, hopping on the soonest flight to Vietnam, Italy or New Zealand may be the most effective therapy.
Traveling, of course, won’t give us answers but it will help us think more vividly of what we really want or realize what is important to us. When we ride a plane to fly a hundred or thousand miles away, we all hope to land into some lighthouse that will help us navigate the oceans of uncertainty with a new perspective on reality.
3) It’s not about spending MONEY, but earning new KNOWLEDGE
I’m not saying that saving money is not essential. It is a vital responsibility to be financially independent. But traveling could be one of the best investments we can make for ourselves. The good news is, we don’t have to spend a fortune to travel! We can read tons of blogs from people who had already traveled spending only pennies. We can learn from their tips and we can always start small. Let’s work on our budget and prioritize what we really value when traveling like: food, accommodation, tickets for activities or musums, plane, train and bus tickets. Labeling these things from the most important to least and allocating funds accordingly will help get the most out of your budget.
We can also plan our travel on a long-term basis, such as saving up for it within a year or two. In that way, we reward ourselves with an adventure we will never regret. People who have been traveling earn new knowledge by being exposed to new environments, cultures and traditions or practices. In this way, we are obliged to be more open-minded and appreciative of differences. Thus, traveling really makes people not only more knowledgeable but a better version of themselves.
While millennials are into wanderlust nowadays, this passion to travel is of course not really new. As we trace it back to history, in the late thirteenth century, we can read about Marco Polo who traveled to Asia from Italy using the Silk Road only to discover China. Following Marco Polo’s adventure, the likes of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Hernando Cortes’ names had risen in history for fearlessly navigating the world in search of a new route to go farther beyond the continents where they came from. The travel bug has existed since long before our great-grandparents and the bite still runs deep in the blood of this generation.
In the modern era, our motivation to travel and see the world may not be about expansion and development as it was for these navigators. But as we go and fly to far-flung places we extend our borders, see life in a different perspective, connect to people who are totally diverse and see some of the breath-takingly beautiful wonders of Earth – and just like them, in our own way, we can say that we have also conquered the world!
This is a guest post by Elisha Pamorada.
Elisha is a 21-year old Filipina. She was 19 when she left home and moved to Singapore to chase her dreams. She longs for a brand new feeling of freedom and the scent of airports she has never been to, secretly plays the piano and sings her heart out when nobody is listening and likes to think that every person she meets from different parts of the world is a potential soulmate masked as a stranger. Follow her stories on Instagram at !
