We have all seen the pictures. You know, the ones of smiling men and women in front of stunning international backdrops. The ones that make you think, “I should go there”. But when all we have is a pretty picture and some vague idea that it would be nice to travel, it is hard to justify the cost of the plane ticket and the effort that goes into planning global travel. On the other hand, once you weigh all the benefits it is impossible to justify staying at home! Looking for an excuse to get your own wow-worthy photos? Here are seven reasons why global travel is totally worth it.

1. You will get a new perspective on things

Whether you climb up mountain peaks or stick your toes in the sand along the ocean shore, global travel is guaranteed to change the way you look at some things. We spend most of our lives in a relatively small area, be it within one town, one state, or one country. We see the same things. We eat the same food. Regardless of how we feel about it, we generally know one way of life.

That’s not the case when you start traveling. Maybe you will find yourself adopting a pura vida lifestyle in Costa Rica or dining on guinea pig in Peru. Wherever you go, you are bound to be exposed to ways of life that you never knew existed. From solo travel to global service to group retreats, all types of global travel are guaranteed to send you home with new eyes.

2. You will meet people who will change your life

It is human nature to surround ourselves with people that share our values and beliefs. That is especially easy to do when you live in one place where most people share similar backgrounds and life experience. It is not so easy to do when you embrace global travel.

When we travel, we are suddenly exposed to people of vastly different backgrounds from our own. Be it the locals or your fellow travelers, you are bound to meet plenty of people who challenge the way you think and encourage you to open yourself to new ideas. Their ways of thinking and interacting with the world can change your life. Some of them might make you reconsider ideas of your own, others might make you realize how important your beliefs are to you. Either way, you are bound to learn something from the people you meet during global travel.

3. And you will make friends to last a lifetime

Most of the people you meet when traveling are fleeting. You know them for a couple days while you are in the same country and though the bonds you form are real and powerful, they only last as long as your trip. Once you leave you go back to your friends and family and they go back to theirs.

But the rare few stick with you. Every once in a while you meet a travel friend that is going to be in it for the long run. And they are some of the most valuable things you get out of global travel. Because no matter where you go or what you do, they will always be there to remind you never to forget the things you experienced and learned while you were traveling with them. Plus, if they live abroad, you have free housing for your next global adventure. And who doesn’t want that?

4. But it is yourself that you will get to know the best

The fleeting interactions and the lasting relationships are what you will remember most from your travel experience, but it is the bond you form with yourself that is the most powerful. When we step outside of our comfort zones (and global travel is outside most of our comfort zones) we are faced with obstacle after obstacle. Everything is new and different, which only makes it more challenging.

But when your entire foundation is challenged and nothing around you is the same, it forces you to find your center where everything is true and nothing changes. It is a small place inside of us, but it is inside of us—all of us. Most of us have never had a reason to dig it out, but the shock of travel brings it up. You stop identifying yourself with who your friends are and what you do while because none of that matters when you are traveling. Instead, your identity becomes who you are when all the other stuff is removed. That is the only thing that is left when you travel.

5. You will start looking at home differently

Eventually the time will come when you have to go home again. You will probably shed some tears and wonder when you can get back to global travel, but fear not. Some of the best lessons come when you return. Some of it is little stuff, like realizing how luxurious it is to have a hot shower and the ability to flush toilet paper instead of throwing it away.

Some of the lessons are bigger. A travel friend once told me that at least 50% of what you learn from travel you learn when you get home, and I couldn’t agree more. You start to see everything that was familiar for so many years as different. You start to compare it and reconsider it with the fresh eyes that only global travel can give you.

6. And you realize that ‘across the world’ is not so far away

Sure, the airfare and mileage doesn’t change after you travel abroad, but something else does; your view of it all. Once you’ve taken the plunge, global travel doesn’t seem so scary anymore and the idea of putting everything on hold to travel the globe starts to make perfect sense.

You also realize that even though on the surface everything is different, the countries and cultures of the world aren’t as diverse as we think. Everywhere you go you will realize that deep down, people are people, and that doesn’t change no matter what corner of the map you land in.