Adventure Travel in Your 20s Can Change Your Life – Heres How…

Let me begin by saying I am now 25. Currently, half of my friends have children or are engaged and the other half are either exploring or feeling the immense pressure to have it all figured out. Your twenties are hard, they are a period of magnificent transformation, where you get to build on your goals, career and life plans. But DAMN that’s a lot of pressure. What happens if you don’t know where you’re going? Or you have just had a break up? Or a global pandemic comes along and throws everything into life-altering turmoil?

Begin the quarter-life crisis…

With a post-covid world on our horizon, now is the time to re-evaluate career goals, aspirations and life plans.  Adventure travel could be your answer. Now, I’m not saying that it will solve all your problems or even be a divine light guiding you towards your true vocation. Unlikely. However, it can open up endless opportunities, ignite internal growth or even inspire future prosperous decisions.

Adventure travel allows you to cast aside the pressure of everyday life and rediscover yourself and what’s really important. Putting yourself out of your comfort zone forces you to think differently and build resilience. I love the idea that you are never completely stuck. If you feel lost or in a rut, you can save up some money (albeit that takes time..) and set sail on a new adventure to mix it up and broaden your horizons.

The World Has Changed

I, for one, have felt the pressure of being a female in her twenties, we’re expected to look immaculate, be in a relationship, build our career and be thinking about starting a family. Alternatively, for guys, you may feel like you need to be earning the big bucks, have a fancy car, girlfriend on your arm and a mortgage?
Wait what. Who wrote that in the rule book of life? Can someone please update it for the 21st century?
Reality is the world has CHANGED.

So, why do I think the answer is adventure travel? Well I believe it’s one of the answers because it gives
you some perspective, space to think and opportunity. Why? It can open doors, it means you can escape the ‘rat race’’ and gives you a much needed break to re-evaluate. As well as learning more about yourself and what you want, it gives you the time to appreciate other countries and cultures and further challenges ‘the rule book’ as you realise not everyone conforms according to our western societal ideologies. Seeing new things, meeting new people and experiencing new places allows you to open your
mind to the alternatives, it inspires creativity and implores you to think outside the box.

You Aren’t Stuck

The beautiful thing about travelling in your 20s is that you aren’t entrenched in your current situation. You are most likely at a point where you are free to discover other ways of living and other passions, meaning that if/when you come back you’ll have a better understanding of what you want and a clearer understanding of the direction you want to go in. Plus, you have the time, energy and freedom to do so before getting stuck into anything like mortgages, kids or a career.

It’s Great For Your Mental Health

Travelling is so good for your mental health. Feeling trapped at home, constantly being stressed and not knowing what to do next can be all-consuming. Adventure travel offers the chance to cast aside these worries and just enjoy life. Go and hike in the rainforest, watch the sunset from a mountain peak or take part in a tea ceremony. Push your boundaries and prove to yourself that you are capable of anything. These lessons you learn, and boundaries you push on the road, set you up for success in the future.

Make Memories

Your twenties should be your selfish years. Be spontaneous, do things just because you want to
do them and make lasting memories. These years of your life are likely to be the most free and able that you will ever be, so make the most of that. You can make lifelong friends and new relationships, explore exciting hobbies and passions and maybe even create an entirely new life for yourself.

You Are Resilient

Your health is (likely) good in your 20s so you’re much more likely to make it up that mountain and more willing to put up with the slightly ‘rough-around-the-edges’ hostels. It’s much easier to chuck on a backpack and galavant off into the distance.
Of course, travel can be done at any age (and I am a huge advocate of that!!) but why hold off and gamble that you’ll be able to do it later in life?

You Are Brave

Okay, hear me out on this one. Similarly to the above, the likelihood is you are much braver in your 20s than at any other age. So far, in my early 20s, I’ve slept in an open jungle hut next to a bed of fire ants, climbed up a rickety ladder above 40% of the Danum Valley Rainforest and travelled to the other side of the world to meet a stranger. I’m not sure I’d be as spontaneous when I am much older (although I’d like to hope so… ha!)

The People You Will Meet

Regardless of where you are on the planet, the people you meet will always have an impact on your life. Of course, there are the good, the bad and the damn-right shameful but it’s all part of the experience (this will soon become a phrase for any crazy times… it’s an experience) Here are a few people that impacted me in my 20s… Good and bad:

1.   A pacific-islander who taught me that you don’t need money to be happy
2.   A couple in our group who we unexpectedly became really good friends with
3.   A man in a hostel we helped out who then stole from us
4.   The family who moved to the middle of nowhere for their calling
5.   A man in Bali who spoke about the negative effects of tourism on Gili T
6.   The flight attendant who helped me get over my fear of travelling alone
7.   The New Zealand couple who treated me like their granddaughter and led me around San Francisco Airport to make sure I was on the right plane
8.   A man who went above and beyond in a hostel in borneo helping us to get a bus across the country
9.   A guy who literally said he hated books in the cutest bookshop ever … what?
10.   Women on the beach in Cambodia who told Elise and I that we didn’t have boyfriends because *insert range of reasons here*
11.   The woman who had a go at Elise for being left handed (lol)
12.   The children in the tiny village who had never seen tourists before
13.   The little boy who held my hand and guided me around the tiny village along the Mekong river

Your 20s are the perfect time to embrace the craziness of life, to be resilient and to welcome the people and experiences that travel has to offer. Things will never be the same – but that’s the point.