I love to travel; in fact, it’s almost an addiction. If I’ve been cooped up in my house for too long, stuck in a routine, I crave leaving. I know I’m not alone in this, which is why the tourist industry is huge, and it single handedly supports many countries. One of the best things it can do for you is change your view of the world around you.

Here’s how traveling can alter your mind:

You’ll realize you have a comfort zone.

You might not have even known you had one. Once you do, though, you’ll want to jump outside of it and challenge it. While your comfort zone can be a place to come back to when needed, there’s so much to see in the world, outside of it. It’s going to make you feel weird, confused and like your head might explode, but eventually you will grow from that experience.

It forces you to leave your comfort zone.

This builds off of what I previously mentioned. Sometimes, you’re not going to have any other choice than to do something you know nothing about. Maybe it’s buying a train ticket in another country where they don’t speak your language. It could be having a conversation with someone who lives a completely different lifestyle than you’ve ever known. As a result, you’ll build problem-solving skills, as well as a great sense of confidence.

It challenges you to find a common ground.

When you see someone who lives differently than you, you may think that there are no commonalities. However, that’s always a false assumption. We are all connected somehow, and you’ll recognize and understand this notion with the more traveling you do. While we all have important differences, somehow we are all similar. Traveling will make you a more understanding individual in future situations.

It will make you feel lucky.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to travel, you’re lucky enough. The more you see how other people live, you’ll realize how much you truly have. Sometimes, we tend to take those “first world problems" too closely to heart, but traveling can be the reality check we need. You’ll begin wanting to share all you have with other people who don’t have it, whether that be knowledge, money, or an experience.

You’ll be more open to new things in the future.

When you do something you’ve never done and realize just how liberating it is, you’ll want to do it again. The next time a friend invites you to try out a new restaurant or maybe do something crazier, like skydiving, you’ll be a little less hesitant to say, “yes."