Question: why do you like travelling

Natasha Dowey answered on 6 Mar 2019: last edited 6 Mar 2019 9:29 am

I like travelling because there is so much out there to see. It’s easy to become quite closed off from the rest of the world if you stay in one country, or one town. I think it’s important to understand how other cultures and societies work- it’s made me a more thoughtful person, and more mindful of other people’s backgrounds and situations. I’ve met some brilliant people around the world who I never would have come across if I had stayed in the UK my whole life. In some ways, it makes you appreciate what you have at home more- for example, travelling showed me how lucky we are to have the NHS in the UK. As a scientist, I may have to work abroad at some point, so travelling has also given me a taste of how other countries work and whether I would like to move to a different country permanently.
As well as the cultural aspects, the world is a really varied and beautiful place- the UK has some incredible scenery, but there is a lot more amazing stuff out there to see and experience, particularly when you go to completely different climate conditions like jungles and deserts. For a geologist, it is important to travel to other places to see different geological processes in action, and to understand different types of rocks.
Another great reason to travel is the food- I have eaten some really good food all around the world!
I took a gap year and went travelling for a year after my degree, and will always recommend others to do the same if they can. I didn’t have a lot of money, but I worked in pubs and hotels to make it work. It changed me, made me more confident, and was the best thing I ever did.