23 Jul 2014

Since we launched Year13 we have been overwhelmed by the number of you who have asked us for advice as to “what I should really do, with my life?”

More often than not we express the beauty of travel and what it does for the soul.

For all those who need some motivation, this one is for you.

While you’re young, you should travel. You should take the time to see the world and taste the fullness of life. Spend an afternoon sitting in front of the Michelangelo. Walk the streets of Paris. Climb Kilimanjaro. Hike the Appalachian trail. See the Great Wall of China. Swim through the Great Barrier Reef. These are the moments that define the rest of your life; they’re the experiences that stick with you forever.

Travelling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you. You will begin to understand that the world is both very large and very small. You will have a newfound respect for pain and suffering, having seen that two-thirds of humanity struggle to simply get a meal each day.

While you’re still young, get cultured. Get to know the world and the magnificent people that fill it. The world is a stunning place, full of outstanding works of art. See it. I’ve had these moments and I’ve felt these emotions. The Khmer Rouge killing fields? Two years ago I stood there in silence, unable to talk to two of my closest friends. I stood in sadness, moved by the terrible crimes and atrocities that occurred on the ground in front of me.

I stood frozen, thinking of the men and women and children and the pain they suffered. I thought of my grandfather and his family, my family and all they suffered through during World War II–fighting and struggling and persevering to survive persecution of their own.

I stood in disbelief, selfishly considering the effect of the site me. I was painfully aware of just how ignorant my worldview was.

One lifetime is not enough to experience all cultures. But travel, especially while young, is an essential step to becoming more aware of other cultures and people (in addition to seeing the beauty of the world around us).

To summarise: it’s far more likely that someone will travel first and then come back to achieve great things (secure a graduate degree, fantastic job, start a new career) rather than the reverse.

It’s now or never to make travel a part of your life. You say you’ll get to it later, but if it’s not important now–when you’re young and limited in your responsibilities–when will it be?