So, you’ve just graduated. You’ve got that roll of sheepskin in your hands, you’ve said goodbye to all-nighters, thesis presentations, and the funnel (well, maybe not the funnel). And Europe is calling you. Maybe Thailand, Brazil, or Japan. You feel the urge to travel, but you’re unsure about whether it’ll be worth the cost or the time.
If you’re newly graduated, but you can’t decide whether or not to go now, here are a few compelling reasons why, in 2009, you should travel now before starting the rest of your post-college career.
There Will Always be Jobs Later
Even in a recession as bad as this one, you can always find a stop-gap job, no matter how outside of your preference or expertise it may lie. And with current indicators showing economic recovery in sight, the odds are more in your favor that you’ll find something when you get back. The jobs will be there: the opportunity to travel may not.
Studies Show That More People Regret Choosing Money Over Experiences
A 2008 Columbia Business School study quoted by Maclean’s magazine shows that the majority of students who worked through their spring break as opposed to going to all-inclusive getaways felt greater regret years later than those who went to Cancun or other resorts, even though the latter were worse off financially in the short term. Consider this study and apply it to your life. You’re physically fit, you have few serious tie-downs, and things like mortgages, car payments, spouses, children, career schedules are all on the horizon and can only get closer. Go now, before those future commitments become obstacles, even if it leaves you a little more in debt in the short run.
Your College Friends Aren’t Committed, Either
Odds are, you made some close friends across many disciplines, many of whom are just as free as you are after commencement. As time goes on, they will likely find jobs, move to cities far away, and continue with their own lives. This is truly your last, best chance at having a great adventure together, no matter where you go, because, as with your own, their futures are far busier than the present.
Exotic Destinations Are Becoming Less Exotic Each Year
In Chiang Mai, increased tourism is leading to developments of modern hotels and resorts. Ditto for Phuket (Thailand), Goa (India), the Balearic Islands (Spain), the Amazon Basin, and other places that were previously only for the most adventurous of backpackers. Before these turn into the next Cancun or Ibiza, now is the time to go see them, though make sure to stay in locally-owned and operated hostels and smaller hotels so you can do your part to support the local culture and economy.
“Because It’s There”
Like climbing a mountain, sending men to the moon and back, or sailing the seas, go see the world while you can, just because you can. Work out the logistics and practicalities, and go for the sake of the journey, no matter the destination. Those who travel become far more open-minded, diverse, and, of course, "worldly" when they return, and it marks them for a lifetime.
Go. After all, you’ve just graduated. The world's your oyster, is it not?
