(*Disclaimer: The examples in this article are based on the general stereotypes that exist about older and younger people. I realise that there are older people out there traveling and doing amazing things, and young people staying in one place and being boring. I also realise that being “young” is a state of mind.)

Wait, did I just hear a bell ring? 

Because it’s time you get schooled, punk! (I’m joking, you guys are awesome, love ya guts). 

As far as I can see and have experienced, unless you make deliberate decisions from a relatively early age, there are 2 ways people go in life. 

The first way is what I call the “traditional” route. You grow up, go to school, go to university, get a job, get married, have kids, buy a house, make some money, and wait for retirement to maybe go see some of the world. There might be some vacations here and there, there may be some weekend trips and short stopovers. But this is the general path that some people take. 

The second option that I have seen and experienced goes like this: You grow up, go to school, (maybe go to university), decide you want to see what’s out there, board a plane, see different things and experience different cultures, decide you love travelling and want to do it forever, work seasonal or odd jobs to save up enough for your next adventure. Rinse and repeat indefinitely until you’re done (“done” is when either you don’t want this lifestyle anymore, or you can’t do it anymore, or you die). 

Wait, I just thought of another option:

The third way is if you were “lucky” enough to be born into a wealthy family, and you have no responsibilities and endless access to funding for your adventures. You can travel permanently and never work and just sit on beaches drinking beers and cocktails all day. (Isn’t that the dream?!?). *I don’t think many of us have this option though. 

Anyways, there are so many reasons to quit making excuses, quit everything, pack up all your stuff and hit the road while you are young (relative to what you consider young). Here are a few just off the top of my head:

1. You Have the Energy!

I loved my Nana, she was so awesome in so many ways. One of the many memories I have of my Nana was visiting her in the afternoon, and after chats and coffees and cake (this is why Nana’s are awesome, they always seemed to have cake) my Nana would settle down in front of the TV to watch her favorite shows. At least, she would watch the first 5 minutes and then she would fall asleep faster than I could blink. 

That’s what I mean when I say; “you have the energy when you are young”. We as younger people have the staying power, the curiosity and the thirst to find out “what’s this over here, can I make it today, I want to go there …”. 

We can handle a little less sleep, a little less downtime, a little less rest. We can stay awake to see what we haven’t seen before. 

Unlike this adorable couple:

(Apart from being adorable, these guys are missing out!)

2. Young People Have More Time

I feel really bad for pointing this out, but younger people (for the most part) have more time on this Earth.

Let’s assume we’ll all live to 80 years old. Someone who starts travelling when they’re 50, only has 30 years to see and experience the rest of the world. Now someone who starts travelling at 20, has 60 years to see the world. That’s 3 times the amount of time, 3 times the amount of places that they may visit, 3 times the experience they may have. 

It’s simply, more time to see and do the things you want. It’s more time to experience things and find out who you are, and more time to decide who you want to be. 

Which leads to …

3. Time is Precious

I hate to be “that guy”, but time is precious. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever and you can never get it back. 

And wouldn’t it suck to be old, retired, sore (and maybe sick), and wish you had more time. Or rather, that you spent more time doing the things you wanted to do (like travelling)?

Wouldn’t it suck to have regrets, wishing you spent less time at work and more time travelling?

SO what would you rather, spend the one thing you can’t get back at work (usually in the same place, with the same people, saying the same stuff year after year), or should you rather spend that time making memories and experiencing what the world has to offer?

It’s your choice.

4. When you’re young, you will look great in photos.

There is nothing quite like the power and beauty of youth. Your skin is wrinkle-free, you still have all your hair (and with no grey/white hairs), you have muscles and you stay thin no matter what you eat (lucky you).

All of that goes away as you start getting older. 

So when you look back at all the photos of the memories you made, do you want to see the young and fresh You, or the older and more mature You? Which one would you want to show off to your grandkids?

5. It’s Easier to Make Money While You’re Young

Imagine this scenario: you own a company that makes shoes, and you’re looking for a casual worker for a 3 month contract to sweep the floors and clean up and help with general duties. 

Who would you rather hire, a young worker full of energy or someone older?

Because I gotta say, most company owners and business people will hire the younger person. Yes, it’s biased. Yes, it’s unfair. I know, I know. But it’s just how things are. Younger people will generally get hired in preference over older people. 

That means it’s easier for younger people to make money while they’re travelling. They can stay in one place for a while, make enough to last them for a few (days, weeks, months … ) and then they can move on to the next place. 

6. When You’re Young, You Are More Likely to Go On “Adventures”

“Going on adventures” is sometimes code for “doing dumb stuff and getting away with it”. And let’s face it, we love doing dumb stuff when we’re young. Like:

“Sure I’ll hitch a ride with this van full of strange looking people, it’ll be fine!”

“Hell Yes I want to jump off this cliff into unknown waters below, looks like fun!”

“Try this funny smell dish that may or may not be cooked properly? Pfft, bring it!”

You get the point. 

And while some of these “adventures” may end badly (at the time), and you may be uncomfortable temporarily, no good story ever started with the words ‘No I won’t…’.

Older people generally have more sense to avoid things that will make them uncomfortable. 

Younger people generally don’t have that common sense, but as a result will be more uncomfortable and make more stories. 

7. You Will Never, Ever See It All

The world is a massive place! It truly is. I know it’s been made “smaller” with technological advances in travel and access to information (the commercial airlines, the internet and streaming data to your phone), but these things don’t change the physical size of our planet. 

The point is that even if you were to start travelling at 20 and never stop and only stay in one town just for 2 days, you still would never see everything. There is a finite limit to what you will see, you simply do not have the time to see it all before your time here is finished. 

And there is simply no end to what you could see. 

There is the spectacular natural scenery (the rainforest, the canyons, the mountains, rivers and lakes, the diving in the ocean) and there is the manufactured marvels that man has created (the Sphinx and pyramids, the Colosseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris …). And, the small and special places that we discover accidentally (that special local pizza place in Italy, that fun-filled pub in England, playing football with the locals in a small town in Spain). 

As I pointed out earlier, younger people have more time. That means they have more time to try and see everything that they want. Maybe if they’re lucky they will see most of what they want. 

But no-one will see it all. 

8. You May Just Get Stuck

Picture this: You’re young, and you’ve just finished your education (whatever that may be). You have the itch, the urge to venture out and see what the rest of the world has to offer. So you get a job and start to save money to fund your adventures. 

But then…

You’re a great worker, so your boss promises you promotions and benefits and everything under the sun to get you to stick around. 

So you think, “what’s the harm in waiting a few years, the world isn’t going anywhere and I really like this job.”

A few years pass and you’re making decent money. As the rule goes; the more money you make, the more money you spend. You decide to buy a nice house because you’re sick of living with parents or roommates. 

All of a sudden you now have debt to pay off. But it’s no big deal because you’re making decent money.

And then it happens…

You meet someone. Sparks fly, angels sing and bells ring. 

Wedding bells, that is. Congratulation, you get married!

And the next logical step after marriage is children! So you pop of a few of those bad boys out. 

With a bigger family comes bigger expenses. You decide to buy a bigger house. And a bigger car. You have to work harder and longer to make ends meet. 

Before you know it, you’re in you mid-forties and have still never travelled! 

Don’t fall into this trap. 

Travel while you’re young.  

9. The World is Changing

Like it or not, change is constant. Scenery changes, rainforests disappear, different animal species become extinct, local attractions get shut down, areas get forbidden to travel to, local shops disappear and we lose certain parts of the world to change every day. 

That mountain you’ve always wanted to climb; may one day be shut off from climbers. 

That reef you want to dive; may one day be bleached out and destroyed. 

The famous ice-cream place you really want to visit; may go bankrupt. 

The point is, we don’t ever know when the things we want to see and do will be gone. 

So don’t waste time and miss out on them, go there and enjoy them while they’re still around.

*Disclaimer: Some things may never disappear. But do you know that for certain?

10. Young Bodies Can Handle the Stress

To be blunt, travelling can be hard, uncomfortable and stressful. 

In certain parts of the world, catching a train means shoving yourself as hard as you can into a crowd of people and hoping you all make it through the doors without falling over and being trampled.

 Sometimes the only way to see certain attractions is to jump in the back of a four-wheel drive and hang on for 3 hours over (what feels like) the world’s bumpiest road. 

Sometimes the only place to stay for the night in a strange town is a “budget” (crappy) backpacker hotel room with 3 other guys. And they all snore. And fart.  

Not to mention turbulence, travel sickness, “stomach issues” (diarrhea, flatulence, vomiting …) broken limbs, hangovers, cheap accommodation, crappy roads, and all the rest. 

In most cases, younger bodies will handle the stresses and discomfort a lot better than older bodies. 

There you go, there’s 10 different reasons to travel while you’re young. If you read through this entire article and found yourself agreeing, I have just one thing to say:

“Stop reading now and start travelling.”

Seriously, make plans now. You don’t have to leave tomorrow; you don’t even have to leave in a few weeks. Just know you should start, and work towards it. Pick a destination, pick a time and then make it happen. 

Because the world waits for no-one. 

Until next time, 

Be Wild and Free!

-Aaron and Chiara