After reexamining our lives and the choices we made, we began to wonder what it was about travel that has impacted us so much. This was when my cousin-in-law’s mom, who had just learned that we had traveled all over the globe, told us that travel is the best way to learn. My wife and I knew this, but we were pleasantly surprised to find someone who had actually lived it.
She said that she has memories from the 60’s and people who are still in touch with her. “I have seen so many places and learned so much that you wouldn’t learn in school or on TV. Continue to travel while you have legs. I congratulate you.”
With these words of wisdom in our minds, we are digging into our own experiences to show you why traveling is the best form of education.
DEEP IMPRESSIONS
It’s one thing seeing something on TV, or reading about it in the newspaper (or online or in books), but it’s quite another to actually experience it. Often, it’s difficult to understand a message when it’s being told to you. You’re more likely to respond (or not) quickly and forget about it soon after. If you have been in a bombing scene or met with homeless people, these experiences will stick with you forever and make you wonder why.
You can teach revolutions at school by reciting what is in history textbooks. This could be used to show that the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, while the people were oppressed without any chance to escape poverty. While students may be able to recall key dates and historical figures, the impact of the circumstances that led to the revolution is lost after the class or test.
However, if these students visited or stayed with a family without running water, electricity or schools and struggled to survive, while also harboring deep resentment towards the government for accepting corruption and hoarding most the country’s wealth and even coming in to build dams and deforest to mine coal (thereby increasing their pressure on their own lands and impacting upon their means of survival), then maybe they would be moved to understand the motivations of those people to take action and rebel to improve their circumstances.
This is why travel is the best way to learn. Even more important, these impressions stay with you so much that you are more likely to take action to make things better.
TESTING THEORIES
Our belief was that reality is the best and fastest teacher. You will never look at street market knock-offs the same way again after you purchase one at a deep discount. You’ll never forget the bitter taste of being ripped-off until you have had to.
You’re more likely than not to see places where socialism is successful. Also, it’s easier to notice how people in other parts of the world, especially Europe, don’t worry so much about their health insurance. It’s also easier to appreciate how rural communities have managed to adapt to their environment and have made positive changes to it, rather than trying to make arbitrary and harmful changes to Nature. These lessons might never be learned if you don’t travel. This can lead to you being more susceptible to biases from media and peers. It’s similar to kids who learn bad habits from unrestrained peers (i.e. The so-called “bad influence” because they lack the necessary information to make better decisions.
We believe that travel can be a test of your beliefs and theories. There will be many people and cultures you meet, as well as different beliefs and environments. These may be completely different from what you are used to or what your expectations were going into the trip. Travel expands your horizons, and opens you up to the incredible diversity and variety of the planet and its inhabitants. You’ll be more open to learning from others and applying them in ways that will improve your life, and hopefully the lives of others. You’ll learn more respect for others and embrace differences rather than avoiding people who are different.
PERSPECTIVE
One of the greatest benefits of travel is its ability to give us a better sense of perspective. Traveling allows you to experience a wider range of experiences. You have more experience and knowledge to draw upon in the event of a new situation. Our expanded library gives us the ability to see the bigger picture, solve problems, not worry about the little stuff, believe in ourselves, know more, understand people, judge character, and view things objectively. We feel like we have overcome many barriers that were imposed on us, including self-belief and awareness.
It is difficult to travel, even for the most enlightening and expensive types, without a plan. These obstacles have been overcome and we are incredibly grateful for the knowledge gained. It was our own efforts in trip planning and execution that helped us overcome the mental blocks that often prevent people from going on trips. It forces you to get out of your comfort zone and face the world. This will help you become a better person.
We have learned a lot about how to filter and process information. This means we can be more effective in aligning our work and lives to our core values. (My personal ethic is a sustainable and prosperous future).
Travel has provided us with the tools (through education, exposure, and perspective), to make positive changes in our lives as well as those of our children. While we don’t claim to be experts, at least we can see the big picture and make decisions accordingly.
CONCLUSION
Although we believe that travel is the best form of education, it does not mean that it should be the only option. If you are open-minded and have the right attitude, traveling will help you live a happier, more fulfilling, and healthier life.
There are many types of travel and not all are good for learning. If you only travel to eat (or to just relax at resorts, golf, or to do other watersports; without getting to know the locals and experiencing authentic experiences), you will only learn about eating and very little about local cultures, environment, and peoples. It won’t allow you to broaden your horizons or gain the educational benefits of travel.
We are aware that travel isn’t sustainable due to the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from flying and the environmental damage caused when water is wasted at resorts. We believe that if more people travel to see and experience truly different things, it would make them more aware and better able to understand the world. These same people might be more open to finding a way to make travel, not just their lifestyle, less disruptive while still benefiting society as a whole (especially the education that you don’t get at school).
In terms of school, I believe that travel can make a difference if you add in worldly experiences to your education. You learn the skills you need to make a living, but you also retain more information (or question it) from your travel experiences. It would also help you vote intelligently, which will lead to better leaders. People who don’t expand their horizons or have an open mind are not able to stem the tides of corruption and poor leadership that has led to many of the problems we see today.
Is travel the best form of education? We’re sure you are!
We wouldn’t trade our time on the road for anything. Even though we have had to dip into our savings, delaying the home purchase everyone (including our government via its twisted tax laws), wants. Although we aren’t rich materially, we have many memories and wonderful moments along with a few good friends. We felt a renewed urge to explore new places and use waterfalls to inspire us. We hope we can keep it going. We don’t want to stop learning and improving ourselves.
