Travel changes you. There is no doubt about it. A trip abroad fills the senses with the cadence of foreign languages, the smells of unfamiliar foods, and a view of a different part of the sky. As such, it’s a wonderful teaching tool. Traveling with your children opens their horizons in ways that you may not be able to imagine. If you’re even considering a trip abroad with your kids sometime in the near future, you’ll want to read why such a trip can inspire them to become their greatest selves.

It Takes Everyone out of the Familiar

As human beings, we like things to remain the same. It makes us feel secure. However, life inevitably throws a curve ball, and it happens more often than most of us would like to admit. However, according to Elite Daily, travel can be an effective cure.

You are forced out of your comfort zone. As a family traveling this way, all of you will experience this. However, together you’ll also build the coping skills necessary to deal with this issue.

A Front Row Seat to World Politics

Travel guru, Rick Steves, talked once about witnessing the re-opening of Germany’s Reichstag. The building had been burned out, and the re-opening of it signified a new day had come in a country so ravaged by its past. He says that it was travel that opened his eyes to a new world perspective and to new political ideas and historical events.

Travel might be truly the equivalent of a degree in world policy. And it makes an excellent foundation for people who eventually want to earn an international affairs master’s degree someday.

Creating Family Bonds

Parents.com suggests that traveling together builds family bonds. It creates shared memories and a shared purpose, especially if your children get to help planning the trip. Maybe you’d like to surf together or try a foreign language class. As Michele Bigley suggests in The Huffington Post, travel alters the way you see things. It’ll do the same for your kids, giving them a broader perspective in life in the process.

Being Fulfilled

Travel is an enriching activity, and as a parent, it is your goal no doubt to see your kids be fulfilled. That is the greatest height they can achieve. However, fulfillment means different things to different people. As Rick Steves points out, not everyone aspires to be a doctor. Some people find joy in carrying on a family business or playing music. Travel exposes your children to all sorts of people, many of whom have fulfilling lives. The experience gives them first-hand exposure to the different ways people live, allowing them to choose for themselves the kind of life they want.

The lessons that life on the road teaches are numerous. From giving your kids a foundation in world history to encouraging them to move beyond what makes them comfortable, there are few experiences that will make your children grow more than to travel with them.