It’s pretty normal for engineers, especially among millennials, to have this desire to travel or what they call as wanderlust. If you’re lucky, it could be part of the work; but in most cases it’s just a way to take a break.
I am no longer surprised that my engineer friends are incessantly checking for cheap ticket fares and booking themselves a trip when there’s a chance on weekends and holidays. Because I’m guilty of that as well, as a form of releasing my stress at work.
But what most engineers do not realize is that regardless if traveling is a part of the job or a vacation, it is certainly a part of the growth as a professional.
These reasons below should convince you how:
Rejuvenation of one’s being
In general, people travel as a diversion from the repetitive and routine work. But it’s different in engineering, where we face numbers and technical matters on a daily basis.
So when we get to experience things and meet new people, we feel refreshed. It is an escape from the everyday stress at work. We realize upon ourselves that there is a whole lot to do out there to nourish our souls and not only to become a slave of our engineering jobs.
There is a different world outside of the laboratory, construction site, and offices waiting to be enjoyed. And the only that you could meet is if you travel.
Source: Seattle’s Travels
New relationships, new perspectives
Along the course of an engineer’s travel, he or she can meet people who are willing to engage in short but life-changing talks, which enhance his or her understanding about the world and its diversity of cultures.
The new people you encounter, despite the short-lived relationships you make with them, contribute to your perspective about life at a certain depth. Their stories provide a perspective that can change you for the better as a person.
Appreciation of the engineering profession
Traveling puts some engineers into a position that will make them appreciate what’s present and absent back where they originate, especially on things related to the field.
Case in point: I’m a civil engineer and when I got to see a bigger city that is 300 kilometers away where I am from, I had a clearer vision of urban infrastructure and different modes of transportation.
Source: Bang the Table
Better communication skills
Nobody ever survives an out-of-town trip without ever having to speak to a local for directions.
More often than not, there are language barriers, and that’s where the fun and learning of travel begins. Engineers are supposed to overcome this by listening and through non-verbal skills. One can practice this by traveling more. Later on, this acquired skill can further be applied on the job.
Personal fulfilment
Some just like to travel for the sole purpose of ticking off that bucket list. Just to have fun. And to live outside their comfort zones.
Engineers gain personal fulfilment through traveling. When you have an itchy feet like me, you would know that staying in one place means a slow death.
J.R.R. Tolkien could never say it better: not all who wander are lost.
