When my dad owned his grocery store, he would earn trips as rewards.  One trip was to the Bahamas, and my brother Jeff and I got to go along with my mom and dad.  We were there for 5 days, and Jeff and I participated in all of the planned activities with the group.  On the last day, we had to drag my mom out of the hotel to get a picture of her on the beach!  She spent the whole time in the casino!  She loved to do that, so I’m not making fun of her, but this was another lesson learned.  We have to expand our world.  There is so much to see, we need to get out of our comfort zone! When we are given a chance to experience a new climate and culture, we must take advantage of that.

Have you ever thought about how big the world is?  There are 7.7 Billion people in this world.  There are 7 continents, 194 countries, and 2.5 million cities.  My small town of Red Wing, Minnesota, has a population of approximately 16,500 people.  That is .000002 percent of the world population!  Isn’t that crazy? Think of all of the people and places you are missing out on by not exploring.

You are here for a reason, and that reason may be in your current space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t expand your knowledge about the world you live in. Think of all of the different cultures, mindsets, traditions, and ideas that can shift your perspective and open up new possibilities for your passion.

Here are a few ideas to expand your world:

Is travel and adventure on your bucket list?  I hope so!

Travel and adventure can mean many things.  It can be actually getting on a plane and going somewhere exotic!  Travel can also be getting in the car and driving someplace you have never been before.  Or, travel can mean going to the bookstore and getting a book about a place you have been dreaming of seeing.

Buy a map of your state and find a few places you would like to visit.

Make a road trip out of it! I have a friend who is hiking in all Minnesota state parks.  If you live in the south of your state, drive north and see what is there.  Especially in Arizona, where you could experience all four seasons in one eight-hour road trip.  My husband, son, dog, and I are taking a road trip in January.  We are going to visit our daughter in Milwaukee, see some stores my husband owns in Louisville, then go down to Florida to see my sister!  I’m excited to discover other places we can stop along the way. 

Find a group of friends who like to travel.

Appoint someone as Treasurer and put money away every week to save up!  Have a party to pick a destination.  My mom did that with her golf group and discovered many new golf resorts!

Related Post: 8 Signs Its Time for A New Adventure

Find a pen pal from another country and exchange cultures.

Websites you can research will get you started, such as Pen Pal World and Pen Pal Schools.

Throw a dart at a map and go there.

If you can, make a goal of visiting someplace new every year.  Have you seen the lighthouses in Door County, WI, or The Blue Ridge Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina?  How about the Opera House in Sydney, Australia, or the ancient Moroccan city, Marrakech?

Take an afternoon and go to the bookstore.

Lose yourself in travel books, admire the beauty in the pictures or educate yourself about a country in turmoil.  Read a book about another region of the world. A couple of my favorites are Eat Pray Love, Into the Wild, The Alchemist, or Under the Tuscan Sun.

Schedule a coffee date with some traveled friends and bring pictures and stories to share.

My son and his fiance went to Europe last Spring, and now I want to visit the Amalfi Coast because of their pictures and great experience.

Find out where your grandparents or great-grandparents are from and learn a hobby from that country.

For example, if your grandparents came from Norway, learn how to make lefse. If your family has Mexican heritage, learn how to speak Spanish.

Check out an internationally-themed public market.

There is one in Minneapolis called Midtown Global Market with great food, cultural experiences, and unique gifts.

It is so easy to just sit at home and hide behind the computer or the TV, but life was meant to be lived!  Have some adventure, and expand your world.  Life is so precious, so short, so undiscovered.  There is such a big world to explore through travel, reading, or education. Open your mind to a vast world of possibility.

If you need more encouragement, here are some benefits of traveling!

Travel shifts your perspective.  It transforms how you see things because you are out of your comfort zone.  Travel can make you view the world from someone else’s eyes.

According to Toby Israel, Ph.D., author of Some Place Like Home,  “Taking a break from business as usual enables us to pause, contemplate our lives, and potentially re-route the path we are taking on our journey.”

People who integrate a new culture into their identities are more creative in the long run, says William Maddux, Ph.D.

Travel and adventure with family and friends create memories of a lifetime!

So what will you do to expand your world?