There are a lot of things you can experience or be a part of that can have a profound impact on your life. Especially if you?ve spent some time living a life you?re not particularly proud of, whether you were in a harmful relationship or had issues with addiction, there is one thing that can drastically make your life better in a number of ways: travel.

While taking a vacation is a good way to unwind or recharge, traveling can expand your mind and heart in a way that a mere vacation can?t. To show you some of the other benefits of taking time to travel, here are three ways that traveling can improve your life.

Expand On Your Education

When you take the time to travel, you are giving yourself the chance to get a once in a lifetime education. By visiting new areas, whether they?re in your home country or not, you can learn so many new things about yourself and the world around you. Lisa Mercer, a contributor to USA Today, shares that traveling can help you to learn more about history, language, architecture, humanity and so much more. Rather than simply reading a book about a different place, travel there to get a first-hand education about the life and culture there and see how that education benefits your life back at home.

Renew Your Sense of Purpose

If life has got you down, one of the best ways you can get back on your feet is to adjust your perspective. Traveling is an amazing way to do just that. By journeying to a destination unlike your normal life, you will gain both a greater appreciation for your own standing in life as well as renew your sense of personal purpose. Adam Siddiq, a contributor to LifeHack.org, shares that if you are feeling stuck in your life or are having a hard time knowing how to move forward, consider traveling to a different country for a while to potentially discover a new sense of purpose or direction in your life.

Develop or Unearth New Skills

By getting away from your normal life and your general routine, you have the opportunity to see how great your potential is by developing or unearthing new life skills. Because traveling puts you in situations that you aren?t normally in, you can be stretched beyond your average limits. AirTreks.com shares that things like attaining a physical goal, befriending strangers, offering help and service to others, and communicating through language barriers all nurture skills that can then be beneficial when you return back home.

If you feel that you?ve become stagnant in your life, consider how traveling could be beneficial to you and help you to have an improved quality of life.