November Monthly Challenge — Being Grateful for Being Able to Travel

Why I am grateful for being able to travel more than anything else I’ve ever accomplished in my life

When people ask me why traveling the world has been the greatest thing I’m grateful for, the answer is simple yet very hard to put into words. For those who have known me for a long time, it’s crystal clear to see how much I’ve changed since I started traveling the world.

There are so many things that wouldn’t have happened if I had never gotten on a plane and started exploring the world. And this is why I’m so grateful.

People often ask me if I regret not going to college when I was 18 so I could travel the world, and when I look back, my answer to this questions is that I wouldn’t want to trade anything I’ve lived during this time I’ve been abroad.

I’m 26 now, and when I graduated from high school, I told myself I’d go out into the real world and explore every single possible part of it. I didn’t see myself stuck in a classroom for 4 years (no hate to those who choose to do that), but what I dreamed for myself was the possibility of escaping my reality and making the most out of the 4 years ahead of me.

Then, I got so addicted to it that I have not stopped and I’ve got no plans to do so.

So, why am I so grateful for being able to travel the world? Well, here’s why:

(This article is a response to Globetrotter’s November prompt “Being Grateful To Be Able To Travel”).

Traveling around the world was a portal to a deeper understanding of who I am. It was a transformation that could have never happened if I had stayed back home.

It allowed me to understand and love myself. It shaped me into the person I am today and it showed me the world of possibilities of who I could become.

The joy of taking a salsa lesson in Puerto Rico, the adrenaline of jumping off an airplane in South America, the fear of hiking with bears around me in Pennsylvania, or the awe of snorkeling with sea turtles in Mexico, and the terrifying feeling of swimming with sharks in the Bahamas showed me the beauty of life as well as the strength that there is within me.

I overcame obstacles that seemed to be too impossible to overcome, I discovered amazing restaurants, and I met people from all over the globe. When getting lost in a new city or feeling sick, I found strangers who would spend their precious time taking care of me.

Traveling showed me the real meaning of life.

It taught me to be brave enough to show the world all the beauty that there is within me.

Traveling made me real.

It made me alive.

Traveling has made life worth living.

In all the craziness of life, traveling the world makes me happy. It allows me to distract myself from pain, loss, and insecurities.

I’ll never forget the very first time I traveled internationally. I remember the feeling as if it were today. The butterflies in my stomach and the dreams that were ahead of me.

I don’t regret any of it. I don’t regret any single travel experience I had. They all taught me so much. They created memories that will forever live inside of me.

People don’t always see how brave world travelers can be. It takes a lot of courage and gut to leave things behind and hop on a plane to fly across the ocean. It takes a lot of strength to visit a country where the native language and traditions are different from yours.

Because I traveled the world, I was able to find my voice. And most importantly, I have been able to let people hear it without being ashamed of it.

Because I traveled the world, I have been following my dreams.

Because I traveled the world, I have learned to be patient.

Because I traveled the world, I have learned what the meaning of life should be.

Because I traveled the world, I have learned to give value and importance to distance.

Because I traveled the world, I have become an inspiration to people from all different walks of life.

Because I traveled the world, I have not been afraid to be who I am meant to be.

So, these are the reasons why traveling the world is the greatest thing I’m grateful for.

Thank you Globetrotters for this incredible monthly challenge. I enjoyed writing and sharing my reasons why I’m so grateful to travel the world with you all.

And also, I’m extremely grateful to you all for allowing me to be one of your writers. It means the world to me!

P.S. — Thanks for reading! If you found this article to be valuable, please clap and follow me! 👏👏👏