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The chance to explore new things and see other civilizations is one advantage of traveling. Vacations have long been known to improve your overall health, but the same is true of visiting different cultures. You could experience culture shock when you immerse yourself in different cultures, but you also have the opportunity to gain new knowledge and discover more about yourself.
Spending a significant amount of time in a new location is frequently the greatest way to truly immerse oneself in its culture. Experiences such as student or work exchange programs provide you the chance to fully immerse yourself in a new culture, whereas a short trip might only give you a taste of where you’re going. Opportunities like these make adjusting to your new environment far less frightening and give you a network of support.
Managing Culture Shock
The concept of culture shock is undoubtedly something you want to avoid based on its name. This raises the question of what culture shock is and whether it’s a negative thing.
Generally speaking, culture shock is a reaction to your unfamiliar environment while traveling overseas that might leave you feeling lost, uneasy, and alone. It usually includes annoyance at how the new society you’re in may make even the most basic things different. It usually involves more than just missing your friends and family; however, it may involve homesickness and a desire for your comfortable life back home.
However, culture shock can be viewed as both a challenge and an opportunity. You can only hope to comprehend and value your new environment and culture if you can learn to adapt to and accept it. Overcoming culture shock can have incalculable benefits.
Getting Used to and Acquiring New Skills
Being in a new location usually involves dealing with new circumstances, which is the ideal chance to hone existing life skills and learn new ones. In the past, taking time off to travel was considered a luxury and a gap in your CV, but these days, the numerous soft skills you acquire are acknowledged as real advantages of this experience.
Acquiring the Ability to Adjust
People frequently claim that because you’re always in unfamiliar and unpredictable settings, traveling is a wonderful method to learn new skills. It is a skill in and of itself to learn how to deal with the unpredictable and adjust to what is happening. After all, it’s just another way to solve problems and follow your gut. It’s true that many organizations want people who can think quickly.
Proficiency in Language
However, the value of language is arguably the most evident lesson to be acquired from travel. After all, the ideal setting for learning a new language is a foreign nation and culture. It can be easier to travel around and meet new people if you even know the basics of the language. Additionally, attempting to break through the language barrier teaches you the value of nonverbal communication. You learn to pay attention to people’s tone and body language because you can’t trust what they’re saying. This improves your ability to communicate even in your mother tongue.
Courses and Classes
Many travelers take advantage of the opportunity to deliberately learn a new talent through classes, in addition to the incidental skills they acquire while traveling. This could entail enrolling in classes in languages, cooking, or something more daring like learning to ski.
Like a memo that doesn’t take up any luggage space, you can use all of these newly acquired talents to improve your life when you return home.
Getting to Know New People
While traveling abroad, meeting new people and forming friendships is both essential and a delightful experience. One of the best ways to broaden your social network and meet people you might not have otherwise met is to travel to different cultures. It is possible that you will encounter individuals from diverse backgrounds, discover a commonality, or both simultaneously.
Getting Over Your Loneliness
Meeting new people can be helpful in a variety of situations, but preventing loneliness is a major one. As we discussed earlier, one crucial ability to have when traveling is the ability to get over the tendency to feel alone. Even though social media and instant messaging have made it much simpler to stay in touch in this day and age, engaging with others is still the greatest strategy to combat it.
How to Get to Know Others
The good news is that there are lots of opportunities to meet new people and possibly form friendships that last a lifetime. First of all, since you’re all in the same boat (or train, if you’ve purchased a JR Pass!), it’s very easy to meet other tourists and visitors. You immediately have something in common, whether it’s participating in the same exchange program, staying at the same hostel, or going on the same day trips.
Although it could appear more difficult to make friends locally, you never know how a friendship might develop. You might start a discussion when you’re shopping, getting directions, or just having a drink. Because Japanese people are often quite amiable, willing to assist foreigners, and willing to improve their English, Japan is an excellent destination to meet people.
Etiquette and Customs
It would be worthwhile to do some research before meeting locals in order to prevent any awkward situations or disrespectful gestures. You should try your best to follow local customs and etiquette because Japan is a very traditional culture. For example, don’t point with your finger at people or objects, and take off your shoes when you enter someone’s house.
Friendship Experiences
Making new acquaintances frequently opens up a lot of different experiences and opportunities for you. Books, movies, drinks, pastimes, and other aspects of their culture may be shared with you by your new acquaintances. Meeting new people while traveling, whether with locals or other visitors, is sure to be a beneficial cultural exchange for both of you.
Increasing Originality
The thrill of discovering a new culture is undoubtedly one of the pleasures of traveling to a new and distinct place. You have no idea what you’ll discover or what features of your new environment will inspire you in unanticipated ways. Because you are not required to think or act in the same manner as you usually would, this new style of living can also be incredibly freeing.
Getting Motivated
You may discover local art, music, food, architecture, and more through sightseeing and cultural experiences. You might discover new methods or components in each of these artistic endeavors that you take back to your home; perhaps it’s a particular ingredient combination you use in your cooking or a fresh design feature you include in your own house.
And it’s not necessarily the outcome of these artistic endeavors that inspires you; sometimes, the process itself does. Calligraphy is an excellent illustration of this, as the weight and arrangement of brushstrokes create a flawlessly rendered character.
It’s Time to Reflect
Even if it might not seem like it, taking a trip or holiday can benefit your work at home. Even though you may be abandoning issues or responsibilities, sometimes taking a break from them gives you the perspective you need to finish or solve them. According to a study by Haiyang Yang of Insead Singapore, your unconscious mind might generate more creative solutions if you shut down your conscious thought while working on a task.
A Personal Development Experience
The main lesson is that you may evolve as a person by traveling and experiencing different cultures. After all the new views and sensations you’ve had, it’s nearly hard to see the world the way you used to. These experiences make you question your beliefs and ideals, which leads to personal development.