Why I believe travelling is pretty epic

Citizen of the world, European, Brusseleir and Belgian. That is pretty much the order in which I identify myself.

 I grew up in Brussels’ well known international bubble. Since childhood I was surrounded by many different nationalities thanks to my dad’s job and thus as soon as I finished high school, I committed to an international career myself. So there I went, going to uni to study business administration in English.

I still remember my high school friends were like:

“Huh Laura, why would you study in English? That’s so strange.”

 Uni was great. I had the chance to meet my best friends. Friends that have seen the world, taught me a lot, friends I can count on and friends with a similar mindset. Yep, I found real-life unicorns!

Throughout my studies, I travelled, a lot. Some trips here and there with friends, but also 2 international exchanges: Pennsylvania (#Murica) and Paris.

“Oh Laura, wow, you’re in Belgium for once! It’s like you’re constantly travelling the world!”

 Living abroad and being surrounded by such open-minded globetrotters I call my best friends, has definitely made me into the person I am today.

It is funny, really: most people are looking for comfort, this warm and steady place you do not move away from, everything is familiar and you feel at home. Then there is us. Always looking to explore. Once settled, time for a change again!

 I blame travelling. I blame my friends. And most of all, I blame my own passionate drive.

Yes, it is a restless life. Always wanting to move, improve, always craving for new adventures and continuously brainstorming on the never-ending life goal list.

 As a good friend once told me:

"There is a huge correlation between travelling often and not wanting to settle."

For starters: I just bought a home with my boyfriend (who is also quite the adventurous type), but keep repeating to people: “Well, if we would decide to move at some point in the future, we can always rent it out and find a new place to live.”

Who even says that?

 I do. Then again, I would not change it for the world.

Without wanting to brag -that is what people say before they start bragging-, I do believe I am a more awesome Laura today than Laura who had not lived abroad yet.

Why? Because travelling taught me a lot. Allow me to explain:

1.   I started being (even more) social – it is "sink or swim" basically. When abroad, you either get better at making friends or you simply end up alone. You learn to make good friends out of strangers and get comfortable talking to new people. Today, I will happily talk to a stranger as if we have been BFF’s for years.
2.   More confident – I mean I have met some truly inspiring business leaders back in Paris, navigated unknown cities, enjoyed the VIP nightlife thanks to promoters and cheered at NBA games in New York. In short, I have done a few things here and there that I find pretty damn cool. How not become more confident?
3.   More adaptable – dealing with missed flights, slow buses, wrong turns, delays, weird accents, no internet, bad street food, the French administration and much, much more. After a while, you learn to be more easy-going and do not get mad or annoyed anymore. You just keep calm and go with the flow. Well, except for the French administration, they still seem to be pretty good at winding me up with unnecessary letters and tasks - please leave me alone.
4.   "Smarter" – I learned about people, history, culture and random facts about the most random places in the world. In short, I developed a better understanding of how the world works and how people behave. Real on-the-road experience that I rely on still today.
5.  Less materialistic – my boyfriend is going to laugh at this one, but I believe I became less materialistic! Yes, of course, I am a girl that still likes to have nice clothes, shoes, purses, make-up and so forth... Gosh - I am not proving a point here, am I? However, I also learned just how little stuff I need to be happy. Every time I came home from living abroad, I realized how much crap I stored at home that I forgot about. Talking about not missing stuff. And you know how the saying goes: the more you own, the more it owns you.
6.  Happier – all the things above basically make me happy. I mean, I became more relaxed, more confident, a bit smarter and see the world as a brighter place. What is not to be happy about?

In brief: travel makes people better people. You learn about the world, the people in it and yourself. You push your boundaries, get to know yourself, try new things, and find out who your true friends are.

Basically, there is no reason why you should not be planning your next adventure now – whether it is a weekend in a neighbouring country or a big trip to visit that one friend in Peru.

 Cheers to life,

 Laura