What makes a trip unforgettable isn’t always a five star hotel or a view from a lounge chair. Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone to try new things is often what ends up sticking with you, and what reshapes your perspective on the world. This list highlights the styles of travel that might actually change you — and a few common traps that might look meaningful on paper, but rarely are.
Live With a Host Family
Whether you’re trying to learn a new language or just looking for a more immersive experience, staying with a host family forces you to engage with daily life, rather than the packaged version designed for tourists. Even with a language barrier (or maybe because of it), you’ll find ways to connect through gestures, laughter, and by simply existing under the same roof.
Sharing meals, routines, and conversation will teach you things no guidebook ever could, and will give you a glimpse of what life actually looks like beyond the main bucket list attractions. You’ll start to pick up on small things — quirky breakfast habits, family dynamics, the local slang — and it’s those little details that stick with you long after you arrive back home, and that you’d never get to experience had you stayed in a regular hotel.
Witness a Major Cultural or Religious Festival
There’s no better crash course in a country’s values than showing up during its biggest cultural celebration. Maybe it’s observing families building altars for Día de los Muertos in Mexico, the eruption of color during Holi in India, or the streets of Brazil coming alive for Carnival.
These aren’t performances put on for tourists — they’re meaningful traditions, passed down for generations and a big part of each culture’s identity. Yes, it might be crowded, chaotic, and during high season — but it’s worth it to witness something this authentic and alive. You can’t fake the kind of energy that comes with these types of special celebrations, and being a part of it as a spectator might make your own rituals feel a little different when you return home.
Travel Solo for a Full Month
A weekend solo trip is one thing, but spending a full month on your own is a different kind of personal reset. By making every decision on your own — from where to sleep to what to eat to how to spend your afternoons — you’ll be able to move at your own pace, without input or compromise.
As the weeks go on, the need to perform or meet expectations will fade. You’ll start to notice what you actually like, what routines feel good, and all of the things you’ve been doing just out of habit. With no one watching and no one to please, you get to rebuild your days around your own preferences — and that kind of freedom can be hard to unlearn.
Go Trekking in a Remote Region
By spending time somewhere that strips away comfort and replaces it with altitude, silence, and the need for physical effort, you’ll start to pay closer attention to your surroundings, your thoughts, and your limits (or lack thereof). There won’t be WiFi, shortcuts, or an easy exit plan, but after a few strenuous days of hiking and solitude, you’ll walk away with a renewed sense of what you are capable of.
The Laugavegur Trail in Iceland, Cordillera Huayhuash in Nepal, or Tavan Bogd in Mongolia — these are the types of remote, rugged places that will take you in and spit you back out an entirely different person. You’ll not only leave with sore legs, but with a slightly different outlook on things.
Visit a Place That Challenges Your Beliefs
Whether it’s political, religious, or social, spending time in a place that sees the world completely differently from how you do is bound to stir up some big feelings. Maybe it’s a country with rules you don’t agree with or a religion that challenges everything you’ve ever believed.
These trips aren’t comfortable, but they’re the kind of experiences that stick with you in a way a standard beach vacation never could. You’ll learn a ton, and even if you don’t change any of your own habits, rituals, or beliefs, just being aware of how differently people around the world live will make you more open-minded, curious, and tolerant of other cultures.
Take a Long-Haul Train Trip
Flying will get you where you want to go fast, but think of all the in-between places you’re passing by. For your next long-haul trip, consider taking the train instead. It will force you to slow down, and in return, you’ll get to see a version of a place that most travelers miss entirely.
Small towns, shifting landscapes, and the sheer scale of what’s outside your window will leave a lasting impression and change your perspective on what it really means to “see” a country — especially if it’s your own.
Spend Time in a Country Where You Don’t Speak the Language
You probably don’t realize how much you move through the day on autopilot until you suddenly can’t communicate with other people. In places where English isn’t spoken at all, the basics like ordering lunch or navigating around town require effort and creativity. It can be disorienting at first, but it will force you to pay closer attention to body language, tone, and context — which, in turn, makes every interaction feel more intentional.
You’ll mess things up, get lost and have plenty of misunderstandings, but that’s part of the experience — because you’ll eventually realize that human connection can happen without any words at all. You’ll become better at just figuring things out, an invaluable skill that you can apply to your English-speaking life when you get back home.
Travel With Your Parents as an Adult
Especially for experienced travelers, taking a trip with your parents can be an eye-opening experience. You’ll likely be the one handling the logistics, keeping things on schedule, and answering all of their questions. Chances are, it will slow you down and maybe be a bit frustrating.
But it will show you how much you’ve grown — things that come naturally to you now, like navigating public transit, adapting to new routines, and staying calm when plans fall apart probably didn’t always. And while the pace or destination might not be your preference, the chance to experience the world together is something that will leave a mark and is worth making time for.
Some Overhyped Activities
Even when you’re trying to step outside your comfort zone, not every trip turns out to be profound. Keep an eye out for these three travel “experiences” that often promise to transform or inspire — but usually end up falling flat:
- Skydiving, bungee jumping, swimming with sharks — these adrenaline-heavy activities make their way onto a lot of bucket lists because they feel like they will be life-changing. But for most people, they’re more about the thrill and the story than anything that actually shifts your perspective.
- There’s a certain type of traveler who views comfort and convenience like it’s cheating — as if taking a 10-minute cab ride instead of a packed local bus with 25 stops means you’re doing it wrong. But there’s a difference between seeking authenticity and making yourself miserable on purpose — you don’t have to suffer just to prove you’re a “real” traveler.
- Trying to squeeze in every city, landmark, and restaurant recommendation might seem like you’re making the most of your time, but it usually means you’re rushing through everything and enjoying none of it. Remember, quality over quantity, and that the best moments from a trip are rarely the ones you scheduled in advance.
Emily is a freelance writer who has been traveling full-time for over five years She has visited dozens of countries but can often be found in Spain and Mexico. In her Substack, Extracurricular Pursuits, she shares personal essays and travel stories that document the quirks, chaos and realities of living abroad.