The 4th-century philosopher Saint Augustine once said:

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

If there was one piece of advice I have for people today to experience a more fulfilled and happier life, it is to travel more. I don’t mean taking a holiday to Spain or sitting on a cruise that stops at multiple ports, I mean making the journey out to somewhere you’ve never gone before with an open schedule, to let life show you what opportunities were waiting for you that you couldn’t have even imaged before. I agree with Saint Augustine, you have not fully lived until you have indulged yourself in multiple sights, smells, food, and cultures of this world. I believe a mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.

I have been lucky enough to travel substantially in my life so far and feel blessed by every second of those misadventures into the unknown.
The biggest and most influential journey I have made was to Southeast Asia where I spent 2 years travelling across land throughout all the countries within this region. Starting from Bangkok in Thailand I travelled to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, and most of the islands of Indonesia including Timor, Bali, and Komodo.

Other parts of the world I have travelled to on separate adventures are South Africa, Kenya, India (Goa), Morocco, and Egypt. I have also travelled throughout most of Europe too.

Some of my most cherished memories are from the times when I was travelling. Travelling has allowed me the opportunity to experience things that I could never experience in England. I grew up in a concrete jungle in London so going abroad opened my eyes to beautiful places and landscapes that took my breath away and showed me the wondrous joys of our planet.

Traveling has been wonderful in many ways for me. From travelling I get a total sense of wanderlust which has me longing for more destinations to visit, cultures to experience, food to eat, and people to meet. Travelling has inevitably made me more independent and confident. I now realise I can cope with a lot of unexpected situations. While travelling, I got stuck in many situations where things don’t always go as planned. Such situations forced me to learn to cope with the uncertainties in life.

Travelling has helped me connect with different people from different cultures. This provided me with the ability to see issues and daily life challenges from a different angle. I differently think that if more people travelled, we could fundamentally eradicate the cultural intolerance that is still present in our society. When you start exploring new countries, you get a better understanding of the people living there, including their culture, history, and background. You become aware that there is beauty and uniqueness in diversity.

I feel when looking to travel always remember that it’s the journey you take is more important than the destination, don’t be afraid to walk the path less trodden. In my opinion, the rewards of travel come more out of the experiences and self-knowledge developed on the way. I truly believe that ultimately, travelling has improved my overall confidence in life and enhanced my creativity which is greatly improved the quality of my writing.

During my journeys I have experienced crazy, exciting things, meet people that have changed my views on life, and have come away with epic stories to tell my children. When I grow old and look back at my life and all my travel experiences, I will realise how much I have done in your life and I know it will provide me with happiness and satisfaction for the rest of my life.