Benefits of Travelling for Work
Have you ever had to travel for work? I once had a job that involved a lot of travel, both locally and overseas.
I was the South African Head of Network Marketing for a company which was also based in the UK, Argentina, Brazil and Nigeria. The first year we met with the other Company Heads in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the second year we met at one of the Leading Hotels in the World, in Guaruja, Brazil. These trips were awesome and eye-opening.
We also arranged an Incentive Trip to Buenos Aires for our Top South African leaders in the Network. This trip was more touristy so I got to learn about Argentina’s fascinating History and Culture, visit a ranch and attend a Tango Show (wow!). Watching street dancers perform the Argentine Tango was also a major highlight and awoke in me a love of Latin American dancing.
Now just to convince my hubby to learn Tango and Salsa with me. Maybe a romantic trip to Buenos Aires will do the trick? I could always entice him there with Argentina’s organic beef which is out-of-this-world delicious, especially pared with their Organic Malbec. Oh my goodness, and Argentina also has stunning leather goods at excellent prices.
If you have the chance to travel for work, I’d highly recommend it. More great benefits in the contributed post below.
Travelling For Work: How It Can Change Your Life
Travel really does broaden the mind. It is a phrase which is said a lot, but it is said for a good reason. Travelling for fun or for our career can be the best decision we make in our lifetime, and there are many reasons why.
Better decision making
When you make the decision to pack up your things and move away for work or pleasure, you are making a huge step in finding your own sense of confidence in the world. Once you are away from the comfort and security of your old life you will begin to realise how much your are truly capable of on your own. Your natural instincts will kick in, and as a person you will become a much better decision maker, and a much more confident individual.
New perspective
We all know that travelling can give us a great deal of positive experiences, and none can be more valuable than the widen sense of perspective we gain in life.
We live in a bubble at home. We go to work, see the same people, do the same things, come home and eat, and sleep. We rarely get to be truly away from this life and it can make us become narrow minded.
When you take the leap and follow life elsewhere you begin to see a different way of life. There are countries who learn Effortless English to fit in with the western world, ones which have no tall skyscrapers or computers, and ones which focus on the simple things in life.
Once you see these first hand you will realise how much more there is to life. It will change your view, make you feel more positive and give you something to strive for.
Communication
As soon as you step foot in a foreign land, you will have to fend for yourself and communicate with people who may not even speak your language. But don’t fret, it can be a brilliant way to build your communication skills and to get better at public speaking.
Having to describe yourself to people who don’t understand you will allow you to hone your communication skills and get better at talking to strangers. You may even be lucky enough to learn part of a foreign language during your time living in another country, which is a great addition to your CV when you come home!
Different cultures
One of the main benefits of moving away for your business life is the fact that you will be opened up to many different cultures and religions who are different to your own.
There are many countries out there who put family before career. In Australia they have shorter hours in order for people to spend time with their families in the evenings. It is important for us to be exposed to new things because it can change our view, and you may even find that you love the lifestyle here so much that you don’t want to leave.
Over to You
Have you ever travelled for work? What were your highlights?
Hi Lauren, I’m so happy I came upon this post as it’s a real ‘feel good’ piece. How wonderful it would be to have the chance to mix travelling with work and something not many get to do. You have highlighted perfectly the very good reasons that we should all strive more to travel more.
I myself have traveled quite a lot and have been lucky enough to live in Spain and Australia, both of which I loved. But I am back in my small town in England now, and there are people that I know who have actually never even left our home county in all their lives. You are so right, people often don’t like to leave their comfort zones.
This post was so inspiring that anybody who comes upon it will surely be given the incentive to travel more, experience new cultures, and meet new people, so thanks.
By the way, Argentina sounds amazing!
Aw, Thanks for your positive comments Stefanie. Wow, must have been fascinating to get to live in Europe and Australia. Did you live and work in both continents?
Yes, Argentina was amazing! You might enjoy the funny story I shared about my first Argentina business trip in this post: A Work-Travel Survival Guide.