What is Global Citizenship?
What is Global Citizenship (And How Can it Change Your Life)?
Global citizenship—unlike other forms of citizenship—isn’t about legal status. It’s a mindset.
What if, rather than using travel as an escape, it became a way of life? What if we experienced the places we visited not as a tourist from abroad but as a local?
That’s what being a citizen of the world is all about—blurring the lines between borders and seeing the world as a whole, as a playground and classroom ripe for you to explore and learn from. It’s about using travel, not as a way to check out of your day-to-day life but as a way to check in to being a better version of yourself.
Why Does Global Citizenship Matter?
The globalisation of our communities has connected us in many ways. It was only a few decades ago that the majority of people lived and grew up in the same town and never travelled abroad, never knowing what other cultures had to offer. But now, a simple scroll on social media gives us glimpses into countries from around the world, a few clicks will have food from any culture delivered to our houses, and even a plane ticket to visit a country overseas is more accessible than ever before.
If people back then could see us now, they’d be amazed. Seeing how much information we have at our fingertips and how many opportunities we have available to us, they would probably assume that we must all be very worldly and a lot more understanding and empathetic of others. But that’s not the case. Somehow, our societies are still fraught with violence and hate toward one another. But why?
While our external circumstances have changed, our internal circumstances have not. There’s a lot of personal development that we must do, as a society and as individuals, before we can really take advantage of this new, globalised world. Luckily, with the right mindset, we can achieve this simply by travelling.
What if I told you that immersing ourselves in other cultures is the best way to inspire personal growth and development? That’s what travelling consciously and being a global citizen is all about. If we looked at ourselves not as citizens of any particular country but as citizens of the world and made it our prerogative to engage with this bigger community we’re a part of as much as possible, we’d be a lot more respectful, empathetic, and happier.
How I Became a Global Citizen
How do I know that being a global citizen can change your life? Because it changed mine.
At 19, I left the only home I had ever known in Hong Kong to live in Transylvania, Romania. Yes, I know…Romania isn’t usually the first place people think of when heading off after secondary school, but I loved it and everything it taught me.
I haven’t stopped travelling since. Over the past decade, I’ve been to more than 35 countries, and still counting! After becoming a global citizen, I couldn’t imagine ever going back to living in just one place. I truly belive home is not where you’re from—it’s where you want it to be.
I haven’t stopped travelling since. Over the past decade, I’ve been to more than 35 countries, and still counting! After becoming a global citizen, I couldn’t imagine ever going back to living in just one place. I truly belive home is not where you’re from—it’s where you want it to be.
In fact, becoming a global citizen changed me so wonderfully that I eventually stepped onto the path as a certified life coach, so I could help others to transform into thriving global citizens too. My passion on the subject led me to giving a TEDx Talk in London at the age of 22 and published a best selling book Travel to Transform.
How You Can Become a Global Citizen Too
You’re probably thinking, “That’s all well and good for you, Freeman, but I have bills to pay and responsibilities. Putting together a vacation is hard enough! Living abroad sounds wonderful, but it seems unrealistic…and expensive!”
To that, I say: Why limit yourself to a small pond when you can live in an ocean of possibility? Becoming a global citizen isn’t about leaving your life behind. It’s about shifting your mindset. When we stop anchoring ourselves to one location and open up to a world of possibilities, we also open ourselves up to exciting and worthwhile job prospects, learning opportunities, and potential relationships.
By freeing yourself to be a citizen of the world, you actually become more employable and connected to others. More importantly, you become a better version of yourself, a more holistic being who leaves behind fear and anger and instead embodies compassion, understanding, and love…and that is priceless.
That said, I won’t pretend that being a global citizen is always easy. But it’s a lot easier than people think it is. You don’t need to be rich (I certainly wasn’t), study tons of languages (I certainly didn’t), or know exactly what you’re doing all the time (I really didn’t).
Understanding how to fully immerse yourself in and navigate a life of travel can take some practice. I’ll be the first to admit that I made a lot of mistakes when I was travelling. But through my trials and errors, I learned better ways of becoming a global citizen and how others can do it too. That’s why I wrote Travel to Transform!
Further Reading: Travel to Transform
Travel to Transform isn’t your average guidebook; it doesn’t tell you where to go or what to see. It’s about how to be a citizen of the world rather than a tourist. Using my own experiences (and failures) from over a decade of travelling, I’ve packed all my best advice about how to become a global citizen into this book.
Whether you’ve never travelled across a border before or have lived as an expat like me for years, this book will guide you to transform not only the way you travel but yourself, while also entertaining you with my exploits abroad.
Want to learn more about how global citizenship can change your life for the better? Ready to awaken the global citizen inside of you? Or just want to know more about my strange and surreal awakening while DJing in London and the time I took a half-naked photo at 11,782 feet in the Swiss Alps? Check out Travel to Transform!