Top Reasons To Travel
This entirely personal blog is designed to help those of you on the fence about travel. I know many people who don’t value travel the way I do, and I truly don’t understand that mentality. There are MANY reasons to travel.
I started traveling as a baby, as my parents took the entire family on vacation at least once a year. We didn’t have much money, so the first trips I remember were camping trips to a cabin in Stokes State Forest, New Jersey, in the off season. Moving ahead throughout my youth, Pop added a week in Wildwood, New Jersey, instead of the camping, and by the time I was about ten, we were also doing a winter trip to the Poconos in Pennsylvania.
So I was raised with the traveling mentality, and at this point I’ve kind of let travel explode into every season and every long weekend of my life. Let’s talk about all of the amazing benefits I’ve seen by traveling…
It’s Easier Than You Think To Get Started
My parents started with camping in the off season, because that’s what they could afford. My siblings—all older—talk about those years fondly, with stories for every occasion from catching fish to running from bats to the outhouse.
My advice is to start small; the size of it isn’t one of the reasons not to travel. I mean small distance and small budget. The best way to “get your feet wet” is to do something that won’t take your entire week off, and won’t crush your budget. That’s how we started traveling with the kids, to gauge how long a car trip they could handle, and especially how well they would sleep in a hotel room with all of us together.
Start small in a way that virtually guarantees success.
The World Is A Beautiful Place
Have you looked at the incredible majesty of the Grand Canyon, or climbed the anxious (ancient?) ruins in Mexico? How about watching a whale breech in Alaska or colorful fish swim through your legs in Hanauma Bay, Hawaii? Those are just a few of the scenes I’ve witnessed through my travels. I’ve got a million visions in my head of things I’ve seen in my travels around this fantastic planet, and I want you to experience these surreal moments for yourself.
Even a two-hour drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park is an incredible experience—not to mention a cheap weekend—so it doesn’t have to involve long-distance travel or big money.
It’s Relaxing And Rejuvenating
One of the top reasons to travel: I am my absolute best self when I am traveling. Seriously, you can ask my kids. Something about getting out of my comfort zone and away from the stresses in my life helps me to recharge and be my absolute best self.
Some people say one of my top destinations—Disney World—is not very relaxing, and they are right in their own way. Doing 23,000 steps on average in one day, waking up in the dark to be first on a ride and slogging through torrential downpours every summer might not be your idea of a relaxing vacation. And that’s okay. My definition doesn’t have to match yours—it is mine and mine alone.
That’s my point, Boo Boo: Find your own joy.
Travel Will Open Your Eyes
One of the truest, most beautiful things about traveling is the opportunity to see things different from your daily life. All you need to do is open your mind and heart, and you will learn so much about different lifestyles around the country and the world.
Different People
The simple lifestyle of some small Caribbean countries is extremely interesting, and a joy to behold. The easy way Hawaiians move into and out of the sea was fascinating to watch—the sea is just an extension of their beautiful island that they enjoy.
Different Foods
We were in Belize when our excursion included a homemade meal at a local home. It was authentic, different and delicious! Having that opportunity after cave tubing was amazing. In Europe this summer, we drank the local wine and ordered the local specials in every restaurant around seven countries—so much fun.
Different Places
I don’t know where you live, but the majority of this beautiful Earth does NOT resemble the beautiful desert that is Las Vegas, NV. Just this month we traveled by car through the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, and the sheer volume of green was spectacular to us! Get out there and look!
You Will Learn A Lot About Yourself
Another one of my favorite reasons to travel: I’ve learned quite a bit about myself through travel. Not only did it help me build independence when I was young, but the examples of self-reliance and problem-solving will help you develop yourself in numerous ways. Whether it was getting stranded in Heathrow Airport this summer, or driving my own snowmobile in 1980 at the Poconos, my experiences have shaped me and continue to change me fundamentally.
It Deepens Your Relationships
Bestie Boo and I dropped LeeLee off at college one year in North Carolina, leaving Sweet Husband home to take care of the boys. During that trip, I became ill on the way to the airport to fly home, and I absolutely panicked. Bestie Boo, ever my weathervane, helped me overcome my anxieties, and her calm demeanor is what got us home that day. We became even closer through that experience.
This is also why I travel with other people, too. My school travels help me build better relationships with not only students, but with my WorkWife, too. One of my first blogs was about a no-notice trip to Disney World with a friend who I had never traveled with, and it was fantastic introducing her to my favorite place.
Ask around…you never know who might want to accompany you on that weekender. Everyone has plenty of reasons to travel!
It Builds Self-Confidence And Independence
I was 20-years old when I got stuck in Tampa International Airport alone late at night. Flying home from a trip with my parents, they just dropped me off and left, never imagining all flights would be canceled. I had no money, no credit cards, and minimal travel experience—none of it on my own. I had to solve my problem.
Getting stuck somewhere can be nerve-wracking, and learning to deal with those situations can help you become more self-sufficient and confident in your ability to handle diversity and unexpected scenarios. All good things, for sure.
It Allows For You To Reflect
We traveled to the beach immediately following Sweet Husband’s cancer surgery. He couldn’t go in the water, and wasn’t fully recovered yet, but sitting on the beach listening to the waves gave us a rare opportunity to reflect on the journey we had just completed, and talk about the future. I’ve done that on numerous beaches over the years, and find sitting on the beach to be the best place for me to clear my head and make important decisions.
Hopefully, you will find your place through your travels, as well.
You Will Learn At Every Location
I don’t know what you will learn, but I guarantee that you will learn things. Maybe you will learn how to cook in Mexico, or how to ride a donkey down the Grand Canyon. Perhaps you will learn how to paddleboard on the beach in Cozumel, or how to order the local special in Portugal. I just know that exposing yourself to other cultures and areas will teach you things you didn’t realize you didn’t know.
That is the best thing, the element of surprise at each location.
You Will Be Challenged In Unexpected Ways
My favorite hike on Earth is a loop in Bryce Canyon, Utah. The visitor’s center person failed to mention the switchbacks up the mountain that ends the hike. They also didn’t mention there might be snow and ice at that elevation. Surprise, Pat! I stood at the bottom of the canyon staring up with an open mouth, while my kids—early preteen years—clamored to start the switchbacks. Sweet Husband offered for us to go back the way we came.
I did that hike on the sheer side of that mountain. Actually, I’ve done it several times since. It was exhilarating and I was so proud of myself for rising to that challenge. Sure, I wanted to punch the visitor’s center chick while I was hiking, but afterwards…I was different.
“Different” is what I’m hoping for you, too.
It Will Keep You Healthier
Not only does the 23,000 steps in Disney World keep me physically in better shape, it positively impacts my mental and emotional state, as well. Maybe that isn’t what you would consider a great vacation, but fortunately for you, there are a thousand other things you can do for yourself.
There are huge bodies of research that show the benefits of travel to your health, and I encourage you to adopt this concept. Travel is just plain good for you.
You’ll Have Incredible Memories
Through this blog, I’ve told a few of my personal stories. I’ve got a million of them. Some of them hang on the walls in my house, but the majority of them live in the minds and memories of the people I love.
You Will Appreciate Your Real Life
I saw a quote: “I don’t travel to escape my real life. I travel to make sure life doesn’t escape me”. That fits me perfectly. I have a terrific real life with people, a career and things that I love very deeply. I’m not traveling to get away.
I’m traveling to broaden my horizons.
And I wouldn’t be able to travel at all if my “real life” was in shambles or having difficulties. Make sure you keep your house in order first.
Then…get out there people! The world is waiting…
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR
Thank you for reading all about the reasons to travel!
Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some other tips, like touring London, here, or European trip part 1, here! Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!
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