Today's post comes from Robin Barone, a world traveller who you may find inspiring if you're part of the digital nomad crowd. As opposed to just bouncing around between workspaces, her perspective defines the life of bouncing between cities.

My earliest travel memory was on an Eastern Airlines flight to Florida. I remember meeting the pilot and receiving their airlines wing pin. The airline attendant gave all the kids an activity kits decorated with balloons and crayons. I was hooked! Travel became my Christmas present in July.

Over time my love of travel from kiddy treats to visiting the next destination in search of adventure. With each trip, I returned home with a deeper understanding of why travel is an important life experience.

Travel has taught me:

Independence
Adaptability to last minute changes
Resourcefulness of my budget
Time management
Appreciation and honor of history
Bridging Communication gaps
Fearlessness in the face of the unknown
Respect and compassion for people of different backgrounds!

We live in an increasingly global world thanks to the Internet where exposure and access to people of different backgrounds is accelerating. Understanding people of different backgrounds both abroad and at home has become an imperative life skill.

With so many places to see and not always enough time or money to see them, with a little creativity, it’s possible to experience the benefits of travel without leaving home!

Enrolling in an introductory language class, watch a foreign film with subtitles, or listen to a culture’s radio hour. These experiences expose you to different sounds, experiences, and contexts on life while enhancing your knowledge about a particular place, region or culture.
Enroll in a cooking class to learn local cuisine from your favorite part of the world or visiting a restaurant that specializes in Italian, Mexican, Indian, French or Greek cuisine. You could also find recipes online for making different meals at home and experiment with different cooking techniques and ingredients.
Celebrate a culture’s significant holiday or festivals such as the Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, Bastille Day, Dwahli, Losar, Holi by attending a music, theater or dance performance and art exhibit featuring works from a foreign museum, gallery, or artist is also a way to get to know about other culture history, traditions, and rhythm.

About the Author
Robin Barone is founder of Diplomat Books. Diplomat Books is a platform that uses adventure travel books to teach children about the world. The first book of the series where is Robin? USA is now available in hardback. You can follow her adventures at www.whereisrobin.org.

Why travel is an important life experience