Only the true friends will listen and be excited for you when every single conversation is the same. Only true friends will still start conversations with you after weeks or months of you being gone and you seemingly have nothing in common anymore.
Only your real friends make an effort to dive past the "my day was great!" to make sure you aren't lonely and homesick and assure you they still love you.
Traveling makes you realize how strong you really are. When you're climbing the never ending volcano straight up for miles, and your legs and lungs are burning but you keep going because you know that it will be worth it.
The view from the top; the clouds rolling in above every living thing, the fresh crisp bite in the air, the lifelong friends you make on the hike, and the fact that you will be able to have the satisfaction of knowing you survived - It will be more worth it than anything you've ever done in your life. And in the end, you prove to yourself that you are strong enough.
Traveling makes you realize that the first step is always the hardest. The hardest thing is to step on that plane alone, with no real destination or no friends waiting for you.
The hardest part is opening your mouth to communicate because of fear of failure and humiliation, but after the first word you realize it's not so difficult if you try.
The hardest part is getting on a bus and saying goodbye to your new friends, but soon the excitement of new adventures covers the pain of goodbye, if even just a tiny bit.
After the first step, you realize that you're caught in an addicting free fall.
Traveling makes you realize that there is more to life than your little world and your little ideas.
When you meet hundreds of people with totally different ideas and viewpoints; if you don't have a reason for believing what you believe, you better get one, because it will come up in conversations and people will question you and challenge you in every way.
Traveling teaches and reminds you that your body can do anything; its your mind you need to convince. There is nothing you can't do; unless your mind is lying to you. There is no mountain you can't climb. There is no rock wall beneath waterfalls that is too slippery to master. There is no cliff that is too high to jump off of. As long as people are capable of doing it, you are too. You just have to make up your mind to do it.
Traveling makes you realize what you can live without. You don't really need seven pairs of shoes, and I guarantee while traveling you won't want more than two. You don't really need makeup or hair products, fancy clothes or electronics, or even a working bank card. As long as you are alive and have a few dollars to your name, you're really okay. Really.
Traveling makes you realize that most people in the world are really good people. When you're stranded with no money, no food, and no ride to any sort of civilization, somehow, somehow, there is always an angel waiting to save you. When you're at the point of giving up, someone will step in and lend a hand. Sometimes, though, you need to show your weak side and admit you need help.
Traveling makes you more aware of everything around you. Not everyone is good, and you know that. Traveling introduces you to all types of people.
The good, the bad, the ugly, the evil, the sweet, the caring. The more you travel, the more you realize who you can trust (and you can definitely trust many) and who only has intentions to steal your money.
Traveling makes you see how blessed you really are, and how good you have it. You have food, you have clean water, you have a soft bed with no bugs, a warm shower, and lots of toys. Quit complaining.
Traveling makes you feel alive. It makes you see the other side of things. It introduces you to beauty and that you can't even begin to imagine from your comfy living room chair watching a national geographic video.
And it shows you a very real world of poverty and pain that you can't even comprehend.
Traveling makes you want to try things you didn't know could be done.
Traveling makes you realize that you have nothing to loose.
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