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3 of the Best Things About Long-Term Travel

As a perpetual nomad, I spend a lot of time traveling. Extended time on the road will leave a person with innumerable highs and intolerable lows. I’ve been moving now for two years and in that time I’ve seen a lot. One of the benefits of travel is that you are constantly experiencing new things and not a day goes by where I am not awed.

Life on the road yields constant surprises

In fact, that is one of the many highs of long term travel. Life on the road yields constant surprises. Every day the unexpected happens and it’s always a rush. Since you are always somewhere new, experiencing a new culture or location, you constantly surprise yourself with what the world has to offer. Little things make you go “wow” everyday. It infuses you with a sense of childhood wonder that we often lose when we move into the adult world.

Learning about yourself

Another travel high is that you get to learn about yourself. By constantly exposing yourself to new situations and people, you learn what you like and what you don’t like. You can’t get away from it- travel forces you to come to terms with different facets of your personality you may not like. It also helps learn that you are capable of anything. It helps teach you patience, adaptability, people skills, and confidence. Travel teaches you lessons you can never learn in a classroom or office.

Meeting new people

But for all the above, my favorite high is meeting new people. For all the food, the sights, the sounds, and personal insights- it all pales in comparison to the fact that everyday I meet amazing travelers and locals I’d never would have known if I had stayed home. I write this from an apartment in Oxford. I didn’t know anyone here but a person from Couchsurfing has opened their place to me. Had I stayed home, we would never have met and I never would have had such a great experience in Oxford.

When you stay at hostels, new people come into your life everyday. Many of them go out the next but some stay around for life. I’ve made great friends on the road, friends I’ll have for life. I wouldn’t trade anything for that.

Traveling on the road can bring a lot of hassle but the highs make every late bus, delayed train, and illness worth it. I wouldn’t trade the highs I’ve had for anything. Every day I travel, the more I realize that travel is something I should have done long ago.

Subscribe to TravelBlogs Posted by Nomadic Matt on October 30th, 2008 in Articles.
Tags: living on the road, long-term travel, nomadic travellers, Perpetual Travel