Travel is so personal to every single one of us, and no one will ever travel for the same reasons. There are of course countless reasons why people leave their homes to explore the globe, but have you ever thought about what your motivation is?
Why do you love to travel?
This question has been on our mind lately, so we've compiled a list of the top 10 reasons why people love to travel. Let us know if any of these reasons ring true for you!
1. Build Meaningful Relationships
Travel is a great opportunity to find yourself in new social situations and make new friends. It opens the door to meeting new people, from fellow travelers to locals. These connections can turn into lasting friendships and contribute to your personal growth.
You will often leave a new place with a fresh perspective just by meeting new people and taking a glimpse into their world. We believe that the shared experience of travel brings people together and is exactly what we want to achieve with eatwith!
2. Travel for Food: Taste Something New
Food is a major motivation for many travelers. It's often one of the best insights into a new culture and local tradition.
Exploring local markets and sharing meals with locals offers a unique glimpse into the daily lifestyle. Trying new dishes is a must for every culinary traveler, and when traveling, there is always something new to try! We recommend exploring food markets, eating with locals, and learning to cook their most traditional dishes.
According to research, 81% of travelers find that local food helps them learn about local culture, with around 1/3 of their budget spent on food. If you think you're one of these curious culinary travelers, check out a number of immersive culinary experiences on eatwith.
3. Learn New Languages
We're sure you're familiar with the satisfying feeling of being able to order a meal correctly in a Spanish restaurant, greet locals in Thai, or book a room using your loyal pocket language book in Poland. Mastering a few key phrases in a local language adds a new layer of satisfaction to your travels.
Make sure to engage with locals and attend as many local events as you can for a more immersive experience. After all, who better to teach you the local tongue than the locals themselves?
4. Broaden Your Horizons
Travel is one of the best forms of education can teaches us many things that school cannot. Travel is not only the ultimate geography lesson, but it also offers insights into economics, politics, history and sociology, and gives us endless opportunities to learn other skills such as navigation, money managing, dancing or cooking.
The experiences and conversations you have while traveling will allow you to return home with more knowledge and a broader perspective on the world.
5. Challenge Yourself
Challenging yourself can be done various ways, but seeing new parts of the world and understanding different cultures will open your eyes to what's around you and within you.
You might feel challenged physically, if you're trekking though the jungle or moving your life abroad, and you might be challenged mentally, when trying unfamiliar food or adapting to the traditions of your new culture. Whatever you consider a challenge, we guarantee that pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone leads to personal growth travel will challenge all of your conceptions of what you consider conventional.
6. Expand Your Perspective
Another reason why people love to travel is because it opens your eyes to ways of life that you wouldn’t have ever known otherwise. Seeing how other people live around the world opens your mind to new ideas and challenges your worldview.
It doesn't take long to realize that the world is a lot bigger than you and there’s no one way to live life. If you’re open and willing to learn when you travel, you’ll soon return home with a wider world view and different notions and possibilities.
It's difficult to imagine how different another’s life is until you see it for yourself, so why not sit down for an authentic meal with locals, and learn about their interests and world views?
7. Find Yourself
Ahh, the ultimate travel cliché of “finding yourself.” Although this is a cliché, traveling will certainly help you understand yourself better. Away from your everyday routine, meeting new people, exploring new cultures, and having some time to reflect on your life is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself and what you want out of life.
With all the challenges and opportunities that come your way when you travel and how you handle them, it’s no wonder we discover skills and traits that we didn’t even know we had.
8. Keep Moving Forward
Don’t we all need a break sometimes?
A change of scenery is often what we need to break out of a rut. Traveling gives you a fresh outlook and boosts your creativity. Whether it's a short getaway or an extended trip, the mental break can do wonders for your well-being.
Travel gives us that perfect blend of relaxation and satisfaction that we need from a break, so we can come back and accomplish greater things!
9. It's Fun
Travel brings joy! It’s safe to say that for many of us, we travel because we enjoy it.
From planning the best things to do at your destination, to experiencing the thrill of a new destination, there's no denying the excitement that comes with exploring somewhere new.
10. Seek the Ultimate Adventure
Whether you’re chasing adrenaline by skydiving in the Swiss Alps or simply finding your way around a new city, travel is an adventure that starts the moment you leave home. Regardless of what your definition of adventure is, we all crave new experiences and the thrill starts when we leave our front door.
So, what do you think? Why do you love to travel? Whether you love to travel for the adventure, the education or the food, we’d love to hear your reasons.
Wherever your next adventure takes you, be sure to check out our experiences on eatwith and share your love of travel with your hosts!
