Travelling gives you the benefit of experiencing other cultures, meeting different people, and learning new things that you can take back with you. Everyone wants to be smarter, sharper, have that extra edge in their lives. What people do not realize is that travelling gives you the kind of smarts that a book can’t.
Here are 6 different types of ‘smarts’ you learn when you travel:
1. Creative Smarts
Artist and writers have long used travel to help them expand their creative thinking, embarking on unusual journeys and seeing new cultures, and finding new ways to think and re-think about the same old things.
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
2. Geography and Direction Smarts
Sure there is GPS on your phone, but it isn’t as accurate everywhere and not everyone wants to burn their expensive international phone time every moment. Try to expand your awareness, take queues from directional sun rises, notice tall buildings or mountains as landmarks, and increase your personal spatial awareness. And if all else fails, engage with a local.
3. Memory Bench Strength Smarts
A travel positive is that it helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent study shows that it improves your mood and helps you live longer. There are also other physical and mental health positives from regular vacationing you can read about here.
4. Money and Budget Smarts
You have to make a plan, especially if you are travelling to unusual or lesser travelled destinations. How much is your budget? This helps you get clear on what you must be spending at home too! I would use a Canada Post Cash Passport Prepaid Mastercard to keep on budget. Load it up into your needed currencies (even weekly as you save up before the trip) and you have that to spend. Don’t forget to take the free backup card with you in case you lose or inadvertently destroy the original. Sure, there is emergency coverage, but better if you can just take out the backup and keep spending seamlessly.
5. Well-being Equilibrium Smarts
Research completed in the UK over a decade ago finds that even the anticipation of a holiday trip betters your subjective measure of your own well-being. In plain words, you are feeling good and that pleasant feeling brings a new better balance to your life, at least for some period of time.
6. Quick Thinking Smarts
Plans don’t always work and things happen, stuff is forgotten, how to go through customs changes, and unexpected things can occur. This is more likely to happen when you travel and you are out of regular easy reach of internet access, and your bank. So, you learn to think quick, make do, be innovative on the fly, and understand the minimum needed to get something to work for you. These are great self-reliance skills you can use at home and abroad.
Everyone can use a new perspective on life, and the best way you can achieve this new outlook is through spreading your wings and travelling.
Here is one millennial adventure with some useful tips for your travels.