Transformative Travel: 10 Great Vacations That Completely Changed People’s Lives

Many travelers' vacations are a way to take a break from their daily lives, see the sights, and get some much-needed rest. For some, their trips were so powerful their lives changed for the better. Users from an online travel forum describe the trips that forever changed their lives, and their stories are incredible.

1. A Physical Transformation

Woman hiking
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A hike up the Monserrate hill in Bogotá, Colombia, was enough to compel one wayfarer to lose weight. Their struggle to climb the mountain at 6'3″ in height and weighing more than 300 pounds was a wake-up call. Because of that trip, they lost 75 pounds and have since traveled to Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Finland, Ireland, Paris, Spain, and Sweden.

2. Cultural Connections

Happy Young Woman
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For a first-generation American whose father is from Nigeria, visiting the country was a life-changing experience. They met people in high-level professional career positions and other walks of life that looked just like them. For the first time, they believed they could be anyone they wanted to be.

3. Big City Dreams

Confident Young Woman
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A kid from the Midwest travels to New York City with their parents and feels their view of the world changes as if their universe is expanding beyond their world at home. They say that as an adult, they're still chasing that feeling.

4. Iceland's Natural Beauty

Beautiful icelandic girl enjoying the landscape in Iceland
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When you suffer from environmental allergies like pollen and mosquitoes and are sensitive to direct sunlight, it isn't easy to find enjoyable places, as one experienced traveler can attest.

By taking a trip to Iceland in the spring while it was still cold, they could take advantage of attractions such as icebergs, rainbows, waterfalls, and black sand beaches and see the adorable little puffins. They were able to enjoy their Icelandic vacation without any ill health effects.

5. Caught the Travel Bug

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Someone caught the travel bug soon after earning their graduate degree. First, they went on a four-month excursion to the Dominican Republic, making them want to see more of the world. Next, they took a motorcycle trip from Boston to Patagonia, giving them the realization that they wanted to travel to more remote and less traversed places.

6. New Lifestyle

Man hiking
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One jet setter in the discussion used to go on vacation to eat, drink, and visit museums. A trip to Maui, Hawaii, changed all of that. They went cliff diving, snorkeling, swimming, hiking, and ziplining. Their newfound love of nature carried over into their everyday life, and now they love to hike.

7. Local Interactions

Friendliest Countries in the World
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To break away from their usual tourist trips to Europe, one digital nomad went to Sri Lanka and connected with the local population by visiting tea fields, rock climbing, and riding in the locals' train cabins. Eight years later, they still think about the friendly family they met during their train ride. Seeing the world from the locals' perspective helped expand their preconceptions about global travel.

8. Parlez-Vous Français?

Woman in France
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A frequent visitor to France recalls that at the age of ten, they were so fascinated that people spoke in a language other than English they became obsessed with the French language and culture. When they started secondary school, they were placed into English as a Second Language classes because the school administrators thought French was their primary language. To this day, they still speak in French.

9. Practical Lessons

Student on vacation
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When a student undertook a study abroad trip to Germany, they were able to pick up practical life lessons for traveling. They learned how to be resourceful independently, that it's much easier to get around when you know some basic phrases and words in the local language, and, most importantly, how to pack appropriately.

10. Love at First Sight

Couples driving
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Another wayfarer remembers the first time they traveled from Switzerland to the Southwest United States when they were 17. They fell in love with the region at first sight and have been in love since, visiting about 20 times since that initial trip.

This thread inspired this post.

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