Remember when we were kids and we had “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books and they had all of those quotes about how we need to live life to the fullest and encourage ourselves in all of our endeavors?

You would read a chapter and feel so much lighter and think you were going to make all of these differences in your life but that never really stuck. Traveling the world is like a good serving of chicken soup for your soul but it actually makes a difference that sticks.

Every 20-something-year-old should travel and this is why.

Traveling the world at a young and not so financially stable age may seem frightening. In reality though it is one of the best things you could do for yourself. Exposure to new cultures and world wonders will do marvels for your mental and physical health. It helps you to find the kind of person you want to be and the life you want to live.

This past summer I had the pleasure of experiencing a good portion of Western Europe over the span of 35 days and I’ve never felt as complete as I did returning from that trip.

Traveling not only builds your knowledge of different cultures through real life experiences or widens your horizons. It opens your mind to a million possibilities. A million standards. A millions idea, beliefs and personalities.

Going to a pub in a big city will gain you three new friends and a lost soul that you fall in love with. Looking at the ocean from the top of mountain will leave you breathless. Experiencing art in all of the different countries will spread creativity through you so deep that you feel like your heart will burst as your eyes fill with tears.

The music is magical, the food is delicious, the people are lovely and the experience is once in a lifetime. So why not now?

When you’re young and don’t have an adult job tying you down? Why not while you can go and walk for hours upon hours and still feel energized because you are so giddy and excited to see what lies ahead? Why not go while everything you’ve learned is fresh in your mind?

Traveling while in your twenties will change the outcome of the rest of your life. When you return — if you return — your soul will never feel so refreshed again.