Why a good trip unsettles before it teaches

There's a kind of trip that exists only to rest. And there's another, rarer kind, that changes how you see the rest of your life once you're back.

That second kind is almost never comfortable while it's happening. It demands that you ask for directions in a language you don't speak, eat something you don't recognize, get lost on a street with no signal.

That discomfort is exactly what teaches. A strange city forces you to solve small problems on your own, several times a day, without the shortcuts you use at home.

Over time, that changes how you face problems in general. Someone who has gotten lost in a foreign city and found their way back tends to get less scared when they get lost in other areas of life.

If your last trip was just relaxing, there's nothing wrong with that. But if you're looking to change, look for discomfort with purpose. A different view alone rarely changes anyone.