The Inner Monologue

Oh, you’ve never left your hometown? How adorable. You’ve spent your entire life eating the same three sad meals, nodding along to the same recycled opinions, and pretending your corner of the world is the only corner of the world. Congratulations—you’ve achieved Peak Basic.

But guess what? The planet is massive, and your cultural myopia is showing. Here’s why you need to drag yourself beyond the nearest Applebee’s and actually experience life outside your comfort zone.

1. Your “Worldview” is a Joke

You think you understand humanity because you watched a documentary on Netflix and follow an Instagram account called “World Cultures™”? Please. Until you’ve haggled in a Moroccan souk, gotten lost in Tokyo’s subway, or accidentally offended someone in Germany by not knowing their very specific recycling rules, you don’t know anything. Travel forces you to realize that your way of life isn’t the default—it’s just one way, and frankly, it might not even be the best one.

2. Your Taste Buds Are Suffering

If you think “ethnic food” means adding sour cream to your Chipotle bowl, I weep for you. There is no greater tragedy than a palate that has never known real Thai street food, fresh Italian pasta (no, Olive Garden doesn’t count), or the sheer euphoria of biting into a warm, buttery croissant in Paris. Expand your culinary horizons or resign yourself to a life of bland, unseasoned sadness.

3. You’re Probably Culturally Illiterate

You think you’re “woke” because you read a BuzzFeed article about cultural appropriation? Try actually engaging with another culture instead of just tweeting about it. Learn why certain customs exist. Discover that not every country worships at the altar of individualism like the U.S. does. Realize that your “normal” is someone else’s bizarre.

4. You’ll Finally Understand How Small You Are

Nothing humbles you faster than standing in the shadow of the Pyramids, walking through the ruins of Rome, or realizing that your entire country is younger than some European cobblestones. The world was here long before you, and it will keep spinning long after your suburban existential crisis is over. Get over yourself.

5. Because “Those People” Aren’t That Scary (Shocking, I Know)

Newsflash: The folks your favorite fear-mongering politician warned you about? They’re just… people. They have jobs, families, dreams, and probably a better sense of humor than you. Travel dissolves the imaginary lines we’ve drawn between “us” and “them.” And if that terrifies you, good—you need it.

So Get Out There, You Coward

Book the ticket. Eat the weird food. Get lost on purpose. Come back slightly less ignorant. The world is waiting—whether you’re ready for it or not.

(And no, your all-inclusive resort in Cancún where you never left the pool doesn’t count.)