The World is Bigger In Real Life

“Life is short and the world is wide” – Simon Raven

The world is constantly getting smaller from the perspective of technology. Gone are the days of long distance calls and pen pals, replaced by international calling and Wifi messaging apps. Even though the world feels smaller, it’s circumference hasn’t changed at all. There’s still tons of cities and nature to explore, but many people barely leave their own town.

How many times have you watched a movie or TV show and been wowed by its location? Rolling hills of vibrant green or waves crashing against majestically sheer cliffs. How many of those locations have you visited? The average person has only traveled a small amount of miles from home. Only 37% of American adults have a valid and unexpired passport¹. This is compared to 76% in the UK², 90% in Sweden³, 6% in China⁴, and 7.2% in India⁵. Obviously country sizes vary, but the stats show some cultures value travel more than others. From another perspective, 11% of Americans have never even left their home state⁶.

The world is a huge place: 197,060,800 square miles to be exact⁷. It’s simply impossible to capture nature’s exact beauty on a screen, no matter how large or high the resolution. Watching a camera on a drone pass over a stunning landscape will never compare to you standing there in person. The sights, the smells, the experience. Be the characters in the video and go there.

Spend time budgeting your next trip, there are plenty of tools to help⁸. Pick the location you found stunning on the screen and go. Escape the cities and plan nature adventures. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and practice those survival skills. Or take a break from nature and go to a new city. Invite friends to travel with you. Experiencing something in person will always trump anything viewed on a screen. Safe travels.

Action: Plan a trip you have been putting off. Research countries you have always wanted to visit, budget, and go.

Further Reading:

1. Only one-third of Americans have a valid US passport
2. Passports held (detailed)
3. Breaking news: 9 out of 10 Swedes have a passport
4. Chinese Extend Lead As The World’s Biggest Spenders On Foreign Travel
5. 7.2% of Indians own passports, number set to cross 10 crore soon
6. Percentage Of Americans Who Never Traveled Beyond The State Where They Were Born? A Surprise
7. How many square miles is the surface of Earth?
8. Travel Budget Calculator