Millennials are twice as likely as non-millennials to add travel to their list of hobbies, with 50% taking at least four vacations a year. If you are a young person approaching graduation, you may be wondering if traveling is a good idea, especially in a tough job market. Exploring the world is now so common that it shouldn’t even be a concern. If anything, this is the best time to travel. So pack your bags and head off, preferably on your own, towards new exciting adventures.
Pair Academic Knowledge with Real World Experience
Schools and colleges teach you the theory, but this needs to be paired with practical wisdom. Books can give you facts and figures, but there’s nothing like traveling to give you a true perspective on the world. As a graduate, you care about having a deep understanding of things, but this can’t be achieved without first-hand experience. The practical wisdom gained from traveling adds a moral dimension to your knowledge. It puts the information into context and motivates you to act to make the world a better place.
Take Advantage of Your Relative Freedom
After one year of employment, the average American receives just 10 days of paid vacation. It takes five years to hit 15 days of paid leave, suggesting that once you have secured a job, traveling long-term can be very difficult. Although graduates understandably worry about forming a university debt repayment scheme, make no mistake about your situation. You will never be more free from personal and financial responsibilities. If you have no mortgage or kids, then take the chance to travel while you can.
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Travel Can Be a Job Opportunity in Itself
You may worry about picking a vacation over work, but the these pathways are not mutually exclusive. Working on the road is very common. You need to start building experience anyway, so why work the bar in your hometown when you could do it on a beach in Thailand? You gain the same resumé-boosting skills, while having the chance to see the world. If anything, this makes you seem like an even better employee; someone who is willing to take initiative and adapt to new situations.
Take Time to Grow
You’ve worked hard to get that degree, so you may want to travel to treat yourself. However, if you’ve never traveled alone to the world’s distant corners, you won’t know how tough it can be. Itchy blankets in noisy hostels, strenuous climbs to freezing mountaintops, and navigating countries with no understanding of the local language: these all build character. University may be your first time away from home, but world travel is when you really develop into a well-rounded adult.
There are limitless reasons to travel and very few not to. If you are lucky enough to be between university and a job, then grab the opportunity that you are so lucky to have. You can work to support yourself and gain skills before coming home to all the graduate opportunities you could ask for. But first, see the world while you can.
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