The change through travel

Statistics of young travellers in the world

If you have the chance to travel, take this beautiful opportunity. It’s one of the most enriching and positive experiences I have ever had. Discovering new places is so gratifying. There are many benefits like learning to enjoy the present, gaining self confidence, learning about another culture, making new friends, and focusing on yourself. So if you need to take a break and to open up to the world, this article is for you!

Statistics of young travellers in the world

More and more young people want to go abroad to discover something new. Discovering another culture and another way of living is the primary motivation as well as for mindfulness, autonomy, maturity, self-confidence and of course learning a new language and developing professional skills. According to 20minutes.fr, 75 % of young people between 18 and 30 years dream to live abroad for a long period of time. 54% of them do humanitarian and ecological work, and 44% try to learn new languages, because travelling abroad is a really enriching and rewarding experience. The people who want to leave consider these adventures as significant and important. 55% of aspiring travellers encounter obstacles, personal and familiar, which don’t allow them to travel, as well as financial reasons.

Top Destinations for French people

Canada, United States and Australia are top destinations for French people, while Greeks , Italians and Spanish people usually move abroad to find more job opportunities or to flee from difficulties they met in their countries.

My personal travelling experience

My volunteering experience in Greece in the city of Thessaloniki was amazing.

I was not expecting to experience so much in such a short time. It was my first experience as a volunteer and I stayed two months. I wanted to travel, to discover new horizons and to help others. My project was about media and human rights with United Society of Balkans. I wrote articles for the blog “Balkan Hotspot”, and this article for the magazine Balkan Beats. I also participated in workshops in an association which helps homeless people and refugees (I collected, cooked, and distributed food). I learned another culture, another way of living and I discovered a beautiful place.

© Bernardo Machado

Before coming to Greece, I was afraid of leaving my country because currently with covid it’s becoming complicated to travel, but I had the chance to leave and I don’t regret anything as it was an enriching and unforgettable experience. And with this kind of experience, human connections are, for me, the most important (to learn to share and maintain solidarity). This experience give me the desire to travel somewhere else and to continue to discover the world !