Community Service|Life at GoBeyond

What Makes Travel Meaningful?

Student Travel Adventure Service Learning

Written by Shaun Swartz

Scouting food markets, collecting postcards, touring historical sites, working to improve the lives of local communities…

…any number of things can make travel meaningful, but above all, what makes travel meaningful is you. What you take from your trip abroad is completely dependent upon your outlook and attitude throughout your journey.

For some, the thought of snaking through narrow streets in the bustling streets of Beijing in search of steamed pork buns is just as appealing as white water rafting through remote sections of the Maetang River on a Thailand humanitarian trip is for others. Personally, the thought of sipping a cup of pour-over coffee at the source of its production while catching up on my journal is what I most seek in the coffee growing regions of the world – yet for some, they would just as soon rather have a root canal than spend their precious time on holiday in search of culinary enlightenment.

Teen Travel International Community Service

In that difference, however, is where the beauty of international group travel lies. Traveling pushes us to appreciate the connections we make both with those around us and the places we explore, even if those experiences are ones we would not have sought out on our own. Keep your mind open and your curiosity genuine, and your travel experiences will no doubt prove meaningful.

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