The Truth About Travel: You Can Still Come Home An Asshole

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One of the most misguided opinions about travel is that it will change you. Especially solo travel. It’s a lie. Some travel is like a diet pill. Travel alone won’t change you simply because you do it; you have to put in some work. You can collect a thousand pretty little stamps and come back the same ignorant, prejudiced, and narrow-minded asshole you left as. I’ve heard people preach about how this experience changed them or how that event made them appreciate life and all its possibilities. But the truth is, travel alone doesn’t change you— but it should.

Table of Contents

• Travel Doesn’t Change You
• Don’t Feed the Animals
• You Have to be Open
• You Will Go Home Again
• Growth is Internal
• You Have to Leave the Resort
• You Need the Whole Picture
• Like it? Pin it!

Travel Doesn’t Change You 

But it Should

I used to think one of the most interesting things about me was that I traveled—a lot. Alone or not, I was wrong. Travel can change how you look at the world. But anyone can travel. And anyone can travel and learn absolutely nothing from it. You can have a passbook full of stamps and still be ignorant of the world. Travel alone doesn’t change you, but it should.

When you travel, especially solo, try to think about more than just a good time. I want to contribute to the sustainability that made me want to visit in the first place. What can I do to make sure the majesty of the jungles, oceans, and indigenous peoples isn’t affected by my presence? In many parts of the world, travel dollars are the only dollars some people see. So all the above is great, but I can do better—we all can.

Naturally, I don’t litter or touch things like coral or artwork. I don’t sit on antique furniture or take flash photos of sensitive works of art. I don’t eat, drink, or scream where I’m not supposed to. Or trespass on anyone’s prayer, property, or privacy.

Traveling alone gives you the space to reflect, but not the guarantee that you will.

Don’t Feed the Animals

And don’t buy souvenirs from children who should be in school or judge other cultures based on your values, politics, or customs. Don’t eat whale meat or buy counterfeit purses, ivory or ostrich leather– Paul!! And don’t disregard the people who make your food, your bed, or your day.

Travel doesn’t change you, but it should.

Reflecting on My First Time as a Podcast Guest 

You Have to be Open

It takes a willingness to be open. To allow what you see, hear, feel, smell and touch affect you. And then effect changes in your environment. Contrary to popular opinion, travel doesn’t change you or make you a better person. You can go to a million cities, countries, continents, or cosmic universes and come back to the same old tired self. Travel won’t do a damn thing. Unless what you see, hear, taste, feel, and smell changes how you understand the world.

You Will Go Home Again

They say that when you travel, the place you come back to is a different one. There is a presumption that you become enlightened– woke to the world. But that isn’t true either if you come back and don’t incorporate what you’ve learned into your new life. Make sure your home life is filled with the same influences that we love about travel– diversity, imagination, and exploration.

Check this out: Black Female Travelers: Enriching the Global Travel Narrative

Growth is Internal

You don’t have to go far. All travel can be rewarding if you find meaning in it. You don’t have to go across the world to find yourself. Most of the growth actually takes place once you return home. You just have to be honest with yourself to find what makes you happy.

You Have to Leave the Resort

Many people travel all around the world on fabulous vacations. When you ask them what they did, they tell you about the pool, the shopping, and the nightlife. Pressing them further, you find out they never had a conversation with a local who didn’t clean their room. They don’t know anything about the place they couldn’t read in a travel guide. And that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes all I want to do is relax and chill by the pool.

But there’s a saying in travel. If you really want to understand the place, you have to leave the resort. I don’t mean you have to hire a sherpa to climb Mt. Everest. However, you have to step out of your comfort zone. Peel back the layers of the onion to get to the good stuff that makes you laugh so hard you cry. Otherwise, enjoy your lounge chair, but don’t come back trying to convince people you are a changed person.

You Need the Whole Picture

All Travel Isn’t Transformative

Most people travel to a tourist destination and don’t bother to understand the place where people live, work, and raise their children. Every city, state, and country is affected by its politics, landscape, and history. Trying to understand these elements will give you more insight into the people. It will help you understand why they do things differently. And it will be a starting point for you to reflect on commonalities instead of differences.

Finally, be real. Don’t oversell your travel experiences. We’ve all seen the pictures of a beautiful girl looking out over the horizon. The description talks about life-changing, reality-altering experiences. Give me a break. Sometimes it’s just getting a little much-needed rest and a little sun. Sometimes you may have a real out-of-body experience with the locals. And sometimes you may take some sick Instagram pictures too.

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