Wherever your destination is, whatever you plan on doing once you arrive, there are just some things you won’t want to leave home without. And it might not be the things you’re imagining. Sure, you’ll need your passport, your wallet (with the appropriate currency), your camera, and weather-appropriate clothes. But more than that, you’ll need a sense of adventure, an open mind, and a full heart. Traveling the world takes more than material preparation; it takes getting in tune with who you are; it takes having an understanding of other cultures and an acceptance of the way other people live their lives. It takes joy and willingness to explore. And in the end, bringing all of those things along with you will enrich you more than you know.

Let’s take a deeper look at each of these travel essentials you won’t want to leave home without:

A Keen Sense of Adventure

Exploring a new country can be fraught with anxiety and uncertainty. Especially when you don’t speak the native language, it can be daunting to figure out how to navigate the streets and find your way.

Don’t let that fear stop you from having an incredible time. Harness it. Use that heightened sense of awareness to drink in your surroundings. Tap into your keenest sense of adventure and let it lead you to places you might never have found otherwise.

An Open Mind for New Experiences

Once you get to those places that your sense of adventure led you to find, it’s important to unpack your open mind for new experiences. It’s easy to be comfortable and seek out the familiar.

You know that you enjoy lounging on the beach, but what if parasailing is your true calling? You won’t know until you let yourself try. Open up to those new experiences, and you will be unbelievably rewarded in kind.

A Full Heart, Ready to Give

As much as travel should reward you, you should also give back through your experiences. This is not a tacit endorsement of service trips, which are, of course, wonderful and worthy. Having a full heart that’s ready to give means so much more than planning a service trip, a volunteer trip, or even a mission trip. It means being prepared to give of yourself to others, no matter when or where the opportunity arises.

Once you bring your full heart along on a trip, you’ll never want to leave home without it.