Featured
10 Reasons Why You Should Travel In Your 30s
For many travel junkies, the prospect of turning 30 can scare the daylights out of them. As they say, the 20s are the prime time of your life, making your 30s a not-so favorable era for travel. As you travel in your 20s, you have limitless energy to do whatever your heart desires, without a care in the world.
As a matter of fact, you can just pack your bags, and leave whenever you want. Traveling, for the 20-year-old millennial, is a big adventure, and you never know where the day will take you.
And, when you get into your 30s, your perception and means of traveling start to shift. You will no longer throw caution to the wind, and start to handle things slower. After all, it’s an era when you leave behind your propensity to take risks and youthful exuberance. Of course, it’s also the time to start focusing more on settling down and building a family.
In societal norms, traveling in your 30s can be a downright terrible idea. But, in reality, your 30s might even be the best time to pack your bags, and go on adventures. For me, it’s more far more rewarding than globetrotting in your younger days.
1. You’ll appreciate it more in your 30s
Let’s face it, most of the things we enjoy, in our 20s, revolve around partying and drinking. And for the most part, we take that habit with us, as we travel abroad. Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with a little boozing, on the road. But, sometimes, a cheap and ill-considered liter of tequila can prevent you from embracing the fine qualities of travel.
As I was traveling in my 20s, I was so busy drinking cheap beer with the people I just met. And normally my hangover turned the following day into a recovery day. Then, by nightfall, a friend offers another drink, and the cycle continues, until my vacation days are over. And the worst part is, I was trying figure out how to prevent diarrhea, so I can keep the party going.
Your 30s, on the other hand, are when drinking and nightlife take a backseat. Furthermore, it’s the time when you need to experience the simpler pleasures of travel and live life a little more fully. Unlike in your younger years, you won’t feel the urge to rock out with a bunch of strangers in a bar in Amsterdam. Instead, you’ll prefer to admire stunning sunsets in Bali or enjoy the fresh mountain air after a hike.
Also, in your 20s, you’re just too young to truly appreciate the joy and experience of travel since your lack of experience and youthful arrogance compounded by hormones will keep your attention to yourself instead of your surroundings.
2. With age comes wisdom
You may be older, but at least you’ll have the wisdom and knowledge to come up with a better route for your trips. From travel planning to reflection on the journey, you know that you rightfully deserve to do things your way. In addition, being in your 30s means that you have moved on from the pressures of society, and no longer live to the standards of other people.
3. You just don’t give a damn what others think
Our 20s are a time of nonstop competition to impress everyone in our circle and to stay on top of everything. We compete for jobs, dates and attention, and we always feel like we have to put our foot on the pedal at all times. But by the time the big 3-0 rolls around, you just genuinely don’t care what others think. And that’s a great attitude to have, when traveling, because your precious time won’t be spent over compensating for your insecurities, and can be put to better use.
4. You will take smarter and calculated risks
Think it’s boring to be a 30-ish traveler? The truth is, taking risk doesn’t totally end, when you hit your 30s. But, the kinds of risks you are willing to take make a lot of sense, in this era. As you travel in your 30s, you’ll be playing it safe, and not putting yourself in situations in which things can go terribly wrong, just for the sake of being labeled as a daredevil.
5. You have things figured out by your 30s
The 30s, as they say, are the era when you finally start feeling a sense of true confidence in yourself. Not only do you care less about what others think of you, but you’ve (not everyone) got your career already figured out. Plus, you’re making more money than you did in your 20s. For these reasons alone, it’s definitely a great time to hit the road in your 30s since you can afford it, and appreciate what you are experiencing on a different level.
6. You love to travel alone in your 30s
As you get older, you begin to appreciate the precious alone time you will have. Truth be told, this isn’t the case in your 20s, when traveling is consisted of interacting and meeting with greatest and latest nomad pal. You’re perpetually surrounded by people, and prefer it that way.
When you’re in your 30s, you may have a spouse, kids, or something or someone you feel like you have to take care of. But, keep in mind, you’re allowed to spend some time away from them. The work events, the baby showers, the brunches and errands – they all can wait. You’ll welcome this time you have to yourself, with your own ideas and thoughts. Traveling alone can do it for you, and will give you time with the person that bests knows you – you.
7. You can afford it
While your bank account may still be optimistically awaiting a lottery win, you are likely in a better financial position to travel than a decade ago. Backpacking is a wondrous lesson in budgeting, but there’s absolutely no shame in having some cash to travel with a bit of extra comfort. Being in the position to spend extra for a cushy bed and a fully-reclining seat is something that you won’t live to regret.
Not as rich as a business tycoon? Even if you are still scraping around for the money to go on adventure, you should still go and chase your dreams Trust me, there won’t be another time when things perfectly aligned, and no time is better than your 30s.
8. You are still young
In your 30s, you will still have a great deal of energy, a healthy body, and tons of years before you kick the bucket. As long as you take care of yourself, you can go on an array of adventures in your travels, including long treks along foreign trails, skydiving and swimming with whale sharks.
9. You’ve got some mad skills
Whether you’ve developed skills in packing a suitcase or in conversing with strangers, you are bound to be much better at the things you sucked at in your younger days, which will make travel easier on your end. You will pack your bag with efficiency, and probably speak at least one second language, in your 30s. Moreover, you won’t sweat the small stuff, when things don’t go as planned.
10. You’ve developed real relationships
One of the best parts of being a 30-year old traveler is that you have reached the point where you can tell a real buddy from a fake one. Instead of racking up bar friends abroad, you will spend more time having meaningful conversations about life with people. And eventually, these conversations will turn into long-lasting friendships.
