Can travel change your life? I'm a firm believer that it can if you're willing to let it. Based on the emails I receive when I write about various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, I know many of you believe that too.
Exploring new cultures and landscapes can change the way you view the world. I've been to the ocean hundreds, if not thousands, of times in my life, and there is nothing on this planet that reminds me more of just how amazing the world is, and there is no place that brings me closer to God.
Traveling can shatter stereotypes, change your perspectives, and boost your confidence. I've written about my travels to Costa Rica many times, and I can tell you that I'm a completely different person now than I was when I went the first time in early 2023.
If you're from the United States, it can be a nice reminder of how good we have it at home. It can even change your physical well-being by lowering your cortisol, encouraging physical activity and healthier eating, and giving your mental health a boost. I know I almost always lose a few pounds when I'm in Costa Rica because I'm constantly moving — swimming, hiking, walking, exploring — and I rarely eat processed junk food.
As the British website Explore! put it:
There's a difference between a trip you enjoy and a trip that leaves a lasting impression, changing your perspective on life.
Most of us have had both. The holiday where everything was lovely – the food, the weather, the hotel – and you came home feeling relaxed and ready to get back to your usual routine. And then there are the other ones. The trips you can't stop thinking about and make you question things. The ones where something shifted, and you returned home a slightly different version of yourself.
With all of that in mind, Explore! analyzed thousands of Reddit users' accounts to determine what the most life-changing countries in the world were. First up, these are the top five reasons why people found that travel changed their lives:
1. Finding courage on their own — solo travelers who worked up the nerve to go somewhere and found that it boosted their confidence.
2. Healing after difficulty — people who'd dealt with illness, loss, or the end of a relationship and found that travel healed them.
3. Rejecting the pace of ordinary life — I can speak to this one. Once you start exploring the world, you begin questioning your own life.
4. Spiritual awakening — the site didn't elaborate on this one, but as I said, I feel closer to God when I stand beside the vast ocean than I ever have in a church.
5. Nature as a reset — "not just as beautiful scenery, but as something that made them more aware of the world around them – resulting in some serious self-reflection."
So, what are the top 15 destinations that people say changed their lives?
1. Japan
2. India
3. New Zealand
4. Thailand
5. Iceland
6. Italy
7. Switzerland
8. Peru
9. Jordan
10. Nepal
11. Colombia
12. Vietnam
13. Tanzania (actually tied with Vietnam)
14. Morocco
15. Ireland (actually tied with Morocco)
What I found interesting about this list is that they aren't all flashy tourist destinations. The reasons why they were life-changing weren't about amusement parks or luxury resorts (though, I'm sure those can be life-changing for some people too). They are places rich with culture and unique nature that might push a person outside of their comfort zone. And I think that's what really leads to life-changing travel. Doing something you never thought you'd do in a million years, whether it's traveling solo, going on that adventurous hike through the jungle, or walking into a place where you don't speak the language but still getting to know the locals.
So, what do you think? Can travel change your life? Has it changed yours?
I actually have a very specific story of the day it changed mine that I am going to save for a future article, but I'd love to hear what destinations have been life-changing for you, dear PJ Media readers.
