Traveling and enjoying life are two things we often put on the back burner because of the fast paced society we live in. Since we are constantly on the move, working full-time with extraneous overtime, taking a few days to ourselves to relax on an exotic island is often over looked compared to the lure of supplementary income that can be attained through overtime. Taking time off-even for a weekend getaway-can boost your job performance, expand your life expectancy and can completely change your outlook on life tremendously compared to those who cease to. Coming from my own experience as a workaholic, disconnecting from work will give you a chance to reconnect with new ideas, friends and family who can inspire you in ways you never imagined. Recently I wrote a article on what travel essentials to bring with you on your travels (and incase you missed it you can read it ) now we will discuss the importance of traveling. So we will break down three solid reasons why you should book that next flight and experience traveling. Fasten your seat belts folks and enjoy the ride.
No matter how many times we pick up a National Graphics or follow our favorite travel photographers on Instagram theirs nothing like experiencing culture first hand then actually doing it. Thanks to technology we all have friends and collages that live all over the world that we interact with but never met, but wouldn't it be cool to actually travel to see and experience their culture? Traveling to see how other people from around the world live and interact can really help break the perceptions we have from living in America. Watching the news or reading the newspaper only tell one side of the story but seeing the different cultures and learning the history first hand can make you more sensitive and knowledgeable about current events. I'm sure all of us studied a foreign language in high school or college (or in my case two years of summer school) and thought when am I ever gonna use this? Well here's a great opportunity to put that Spanish course to use by traveling and actually using it! And if you haven't learned a second language simply download a Rosette Stone course on the flight and kick up your feet.
One huge benefit of traveling is the recreational time to put things in perspective and reflect. Traveling allows you to let your guard down and settle into a relaxed state where we can truly reflect on life and career goals; it's exceptionally hard doing that during rush hour on 95 with a cup of coffee, yelling at the old lady in front of you while trying to send off a work email you should have sent two hours ago. In today's society, we are busier than ever and more distracted than ever with every new app that's released fighting for our time and attention. It's kind of hard to recognize how you feel about life decisions when you're trying to figure out the perfect quote for that amazing Instagram shot you took while on lunch. So use this time to truly reflect to help put somethings in perspective with minimum distractions. Maybe while walking the streets of Brazil you will see a tailor shop that will spark your fashion interest that you once had but never pursued. Use this traveling experience as motivation to reflect and move forward with new goals.
The great thing about traveling far-preferably outside the country-is nobody knows who the hell you are! You can be anybody you want to be and more importantly you can be yourself! It's easy to act a certain way thanks to the titles society imposes on us, but on vacation you are no longer the boring clerk behind window 5 at the DMV-you are Kyle, the guy who's a confident lothario who enjoys rock climbing and living life on the edge! This is a great opportunity to learn new things about oneself by trying new things. Did you ever think that eating chocolate crickets could be delicious? Me neither, but guess what? You found out by trying it! Breaking outside our comfort zone is something that's hard to break most of the time because as humans we are all afraid of judgement. We might think if he/she finds out I like painting, poetry or eating chocolate covered crickets they might not accept me for who I am; we never enjoy or experience new things because we are afraid of looking like a fool or encountering judgment, but when you travel, those factors are gone because you are in a place where nobody knows your name-so who cares if you look like a fool? And more importantly, you might get the confidence you need from traveling and being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Therefore, try something new or something you haven't tried in a long time, and come back as a new person, or with a new person, if you catch my drift!
Of course, there are many reasons why traveling is beneficial, and these are only a few that can help with your journey. The common excuse we hear when it comes to traveling is, "it's too expensive", "I can't find a babysitter", or "I got to get some things in my life together first". These are all valid reasons, but don't let these reasons hold you back. We always hear about investing in our 401K, our education and our home, but never in traveling. Every once in a while we need to invest in ourselves to experience life and to remind ourselves why we do what we do in the first place. Life is so much easier to wake up to when you know you have a vacation planned in Puerto Rio next month. If money is truly a dilemma, then start small. Travel to great cities like New York, Miami and Philadelphia and get a knack for traveling. Once you get the hang of it, book that flight to the UK. We promise your life we never be the same.
