Why You Should Travel More

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
– Saint Augustine

In this post I'm going to explain why you should travel more, and how my wife and I are able to spend 6-9 months of the year traveling around the world.

According to the DailyMail, a survey revealed that over 75% of people over age 35 said they wish they'd traveled more. Unfortunately, many people squander away the best years of their lives in a “box lifestyle”. In other words, they spend 50+ weeks a year sitting in rush our traffic, working at an unfulfilling job, and being life's spectator by watching too much TV.

If you think about it, some of your best memories are probably from family trips, exotic vacations, or exciting adventures away from home. Why not design your life in a way that maximizes these amazing experiences?

Among many other things, travel makes you more interesting, cultured, grateful, and confident.

Reason #1 – New adventures make you way happier than material possessions

“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.” – George Carlin

The American Dream is all about constantly consuming and upgrading. We're fed a lie that says we should always strive to buy bigger and better houses, and acquire more stuff. And the storage rental industry has made it even easier for us to hoard more stuff!

For example, I built my first home when I was 19. I remember being so pumped that I'd made enough money in my teens to buy my dream house, but 12 months later all I wanted to do was burn the damn thing to the ground. It was just a big weight keeping me from traveling too long.

Some people find a false sense of security by acquiring more stuff. But at the end of the day, material possessions will leave us empty and unfulfilled.

I could go out and buy any car I want tomorrow, cash. But I know that after 90 days of driving my $250,000 Lambo around town, I'd resent having to mess with the damn thing. Why? Because I travel most of of the year, and the last thing I want is to be worrying about my precious car getting a scratch while I'm away.

While the excitement of “stuff” fades, you'll never forget incredible travel adventures like diving with great white sharks, having tea with monks in the Himalayas, or descending 3,000 feet on a mountain bike. Hands down, experiences trump material possessions any day of the week.

But don't take it from me. Even billionaires are hopping on the minimalist material lifestyle. Nicolas Berggruen is known as the “homeless billionaire”. He travels full-time and lives in 5 start hotels.

And social-media inspired vacation rental sites like Airbnb are making it easier to live in high-quality places for a fraction of the price. Over the past couple of years, I've stayed in over 25 privately owned homes through Airbnb. Instead of over-paying for hotels, renting from a private owner usually gives you a more authentic travel experience.

Reason #2 – Travel makes you slow down and enjoy life

I've noticed that each year goes by faster than the last. Ever notice how fast the weeks fly by when you get into a daily routine? I let 3 good years of my life slip by when I was working for Corporate America in my early 20's. Sure, I made good money, but 3 years just flew by sitting at the same boring desk all day. During that time, I probably only took a total of 3-4 weeks vacation time.

That all changed when I quit my job and decided to become an entrepreneur. The very next year I spent quite a bit of time in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Australia. I noticed how much my perception of time really slowed down when I had new daily experiences. . It was like someone hit the slow-motion button, where I could pause and reflect on how awesome my surroundings were.

Here's a picture of me enjoying the view of the Amazon River & Rainforest from a tree top hammock. This is a prime example of how much you can really slow down and enjoy life.

Reason #3 – Travel inspires you to do big things

Need more inspiration in your life? Are you bored with your job or daily routine? Nothing crushes boredom and create massive breakthroughs like traveling and finding a new exciting experience.

Traveling is one of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing.  In fact, I was traveling through 4 continents the first year I made over a million dollars. If you structure your business correctly, you can be extremely productive while staying at some of the most exotic places on the planet. For example, I was extremely productive while staying in this beach front villa on the #1 beach in the world.

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