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Hello friend, I wrote a post on Quora regarding my thoughts on travelling and the importance of it.

The post did well, getting 2700 views, 85 upvotes, and 1 share.

So I thought I’d share the answer here to improve this post.

Here is the exact breakdown I shared that resonated with thousands of people to the question:

“Why is travelling so important in life?”

Honestly, it isn’t that important.

For example, I see so many posts and videos on social media from people who say they’re travelling to ‘find themselves’.

I think this is a load of baloney.

You can’t find yourself when you’re travelling, any more than when you’re at home, taking a walk around your local neighbourhood, because wherever we go, we carry ourselves, so if we don’t feel good in ourselves at home, we won’t feel good abroad either.

My experience travelling

I’ve been on holiday to London, Turkey, Rome, the French and Austrian Alps, the Canary Islands, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

And yes, I did enjoy going to these places, but I never expected them to make me happy. Because only I can do that, and it is within my power and not dependent on my geographical location.

I see travelling a bit like tasting new foods; the novelty can be pleasant at first, but becomes boring after a while.

If you are going to travel, do it because you’re genuinely interested in the places you’re going

I feel like many of us travel abroad simply because other people do. Instead of following the crowd, pick some places you’re genuinely interested in so that when you’re there, you can explore them fully.

For example, Rome was a bucket list destination for me. I wasn’t really bothered about going anywhere else (I’m very interested in the ancient Romans), and when I got there, it was even better than I thought it was going to be. I learned so much more about the Romans when I was there.

On the other hand, I saw many posts and videos on YouTube saying that Rome was horrible and dirty. I quickly understood that these people making the videos were philistines and had no appreciation for art, history and culture.

When I was in Rome, the dirtiness that is commonplace in any large city didn’t bother me at all.

Instead of travelling abroad, my new plan is to gain a deep understanding and love for my own culture before I go jetsetting

There’s no two ways about it, you don’t have to go to the other end of the world to have a good time, try going once a week on a day trip in your own country and try and gain a deep understanding, love and appreciation for what is already at your fingertips.

By doing this, you save money and time, and you’ll meet people who can speak your language.

Wanderlust is a lie

To be everywhere is to be nowhere, so gain a deep understanding, love and appreciation for your own culture before exploring every nook and cranny of the world. I’ve learned from travelling that everywhere is the same but slightly different. And a lot of the time, the places being slightly different doesn’t mean slightly better.

The bottom line

I recommend that everyone travel to places they’re genuinely interested in and curious about, but don’t expect travelling to make you happy or change you as a person; you’ll still be the same person in a different geographical location. Try to become so happy in yourself that it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you’ll always be at peace.

The picture at the beginning was from my time in Vatican City, Rome.

One last final thought

Ever been away on holiday for a week or more, and you’re looking forward to coming home? Well, I have, and this is a good sign. It’s a much worse sign when your life is so unbearable that you want to stay in a foreign country to escape it.

Make your life so good that it feels like its own holiday. Don’t become a pawn in someone else’s plan. Your life can become whatever you make it; you’re in the driving seat.

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