I’ll start this off by telling you that I’m not saying you should travel to anyplace that’s dangerous or unsafe by any means. Rather, I’m suggesting that you travel to places that maybe you know nothing about, that make you a little uneasy because you haven’t been there before, you haven’t gotten comfortable going there. Here’s why:

1. You’ll learn something new about another culture.

Traveling is really the best way to interact with and grow to understand different kinds of people. There’s so much more to the world than just your little bubble of people. Traveling outside of that bubble, even within your own state, but especially outside of this country, can teach you so much about people. It can also give you a great perspective on the world. I also think it’s so much fun to be immersed in another culture – it’s like a different world. This can be scary, but if you keep an open mind and open ears, it can be so much fun.

2. You’ll learn something new about yourself and will grow from it.

Life is all about new experiences. It’s all about growing as a person and getting outside of your comfort zone. To really do this through travel, you shouldn’t go back to the same places over and over again nor should you stick to the places that everyone else is going to or the places that seem comfortable and similar to what you know. To really learn something new about yourself and grow from it, you have to try new things in life. Traveling to places that scare you a little is one of the best ways to do this.

3. Your career and relationships will benefit.

By experiencing new things and facing your fears, you can gain so many skills – like self-confidence, independence, empathy and adaptability – that are all crucial to thriving in the workplace and in your relationships. Ultimately, by learning about other people, by learning about yourself, and by traveling somewhere that scares you a little bit, you will grow so much as a person, which will benefit your life in so many ways.

For example, it’s for these reasons that I’m going to be traveling to Thailand and possibly other parts of Southeast Asia for a month this summer: it scares me a little. After studying abroad in Spain for four months, I’ve come to know and become very comfortable in Western Europe. I’m so comfortable there, that I’d be completely fine with moving and living there. I definitely do not feel the same about Thailand – or rather anywhere in Asia for that matter. That’s because I hardly know anything about Asia or its cultures.

Because I’m scared, I want to go because I know that it will help me grow as a person. Life is all about facing your fears right? That’s how you grow from them and become a better person. In doing so, I’m looking forward to learning about a completely different part of the world that I know nothing about. I’m also looking forward to learning more about myself and growing from the experience.

So what are you waiting for? Think about the places you might want to visit but where you’re a bit scared to visit. Book a plane ticket and go! You won’t regret it.

Have you ever traveled somewhere because it scared you? How did you learn and grow rom the experience? Please let me know in the comments below.