How Travel Has Taught Me the Meaning of Gratitude

How many times have you heard someone tell you to think about what you’re grateful for? How often have you truly sat down and reflected on what you’re thankful for in your life?

Have you ever actually understood the importance of gratitude and what it means to be thankful?

For me, I always knew it was important to be grateful and take time to acknowledge the things I appreciated, but I never fully understood why. Maybe everyone’s reason for finding gratitude important is different—and perhaps that’s the beauty of it. Gratitude is something we all have the ability to practice, yet it leads each of us to unique realizations and emotions.

For me, travel was the key that unlocked the meaning of gratitude. It showed me how gratitude could shift my perspective—not just while traveling, but also in my day-to-day life back home. Travel opened my eyes to a different way of thinking about my life and my journey on this planet. You might be wondering how. Let me explain.

First and foremost, travel pushes you outside of your comfort zone. And I’m not talking about vacationing at a five-star resort in Cancun. I’m talking about traveling to a foreign country where little English is spoken, where you’re truly removed from the familiar comforts of home. It’s in these moments of discomfort that gratitude reveals itself.

When we’re outside our comfort zone, we begin to yearn for what’s familiar. For instance, navigating constant language barriers can make you appreciate the ease of communication back home. Walking through cities where trash litters the streets or where plumbing systems are outdated might make you long for your clean neighborhood, with functioning septic systems and access to restrooms whenever you need them. These are simple things, things we hardly think about, but they become significant when we step away from them.

How would you know how lucky you are to have air conditioning if you’ve never lived without it? How would you understand the value of transportation to and from school if you’ve never had to walk miles to get there? How would you truly appreciate a roof over your head and food on the table if you’ve never gone without them?

The truth is, you wouldn’t. You might hear stories, watch videos, or read articles about how fortunate you are, but it’s hard for those messages to truly resonate until you experience life without those comforts, or witness others living without them.

Traveling, especially as a budget backpacker, often means embracing a simpler lifestyle. You don’t always have access to a clean toilet. You don’t always stay in comfortable accommodations. Sometimes there’s no phone signal, no running water, no air conditioning. These inconveniences might seem small, but they’re what make backpacking an adventure. Over time, you realize that you don’t need the things you’re used to. Instead, you start seeing those things as luxuries—heated showers, for instance, become a special treat. This shift in perspective makes you reflect on your past with newfound gratitude. You look back on your childhood and realize how lucky you were to have a fridge full of fresh food, a warm bed to sleep in, and toys to play with.

When you travel to less-developed or less-privileged areas, that perspective deepens. Your struggles, things like friend drama or a canceled birthday party, become embarrassingly insignificant. You might find yourself in a country where children are playing with scraps of trash because they don’t have toys. Or where kids, covered in dirt, are asking for food because they haven’t eaten in days. You might see young boys walking for hours under the sun just to fetch water for their families.

Standing in the midst of such scenes, how could you worry about the pimple on your face or the fact that your friend didn’t text you back? Instead, you feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the life you’ve lived. You realize how fortunate you are that your greatest problems pale in comparison to the challenges some people face every day.

Not every place you travel to will present such stark differences, and not every travel experience will be so eye-opening. But it’s important to expose yourself to these realities, to see how others live, and to understand the struggles they face. Without that, how could we truly recognize the privileges and opportunities we’ve been given?

Let me share a personal example. For most of my young adult life, I resented my hometown. I couldn’t wait to leave. I longed to explore the world, meet new people, and immerse myself in a different environment. My eagerness to escape, coupled with my lack of gratitude, led me to constantly criticize my hometown. I saw it as dull and unremarkable.

But as I began to travel, meet people from diverse backgrounds, and hear their stories, I started to realize just how fortunate I was. My town had excellent public education, a strong sense of community, great opportunities, and a safe, stable environment. Most importantly, I had a loving and supportive home. These were privileges I’d taken for granted until I left and saw the world through a broader lens.

Now that I’ve come to this realization, gratitude has become a daily practice for me. I find myself taking moments to express thanks—whether it’s silently admiring something during my travels, writing down reflections in my journal, or reaching out to loved ones to let them know how much I appreciate them.

Gratitude has shifted the way I see everything. I’ve become more honest with myself about the privileges I’ve had, the opportunities I’ve been given, and the life I continue to build. Simple things like clean water, good health, and a supportive family are no longer overlooked. In a world where so many people lack these basic necessities, I’m constantly reminded to be thankful.

In our fast-paced, materialistic society, it’s easy to lose sight of these fundamentals. We get so caught up in chasing the next best thing that we forget to appreciate what we already have. This is why I credit travel, not vacations, but real, immersive travel, for teaching me gratitude. It’s through my experiences abroad and the connections I’ve made around the world that I’ve come to see how lucky I am.

I encourage you to pause and reflect on what you’re grateful for, even if it’s as simple as the device you’re reading this on or the roof over your head. Write it down. Say it out loud. Gratitude has the power to change your perspective and, ultimately, your life.

I can’t tell you exactly how it will affect you because everyone’s journey is different. But I can promise you this: traveling, especially in a way that challenges you and pushes you outside your comfort zone, will open your eyes to what you have to be thankful for.