Vacations are great to rest and relax from a work week, but the benefits of traveling go way beyond just rejuvenation. Traveling with friends and families create amazing memories that will keep you bonded through life. Most people think of travel as seeing new places. How many times have you seen that list of all the states you’ve visited? Travel isn’t about creating a menu of countries that you’ve been to. It’s more about how you interact with the world. Need some reasons to indulge on that vacation? Here are six reasons to invest in travel.
Experience New Cultures
Many Americans read about and watch TV to explore new cultures, but there’s something special about experiencing a cultural festival or event firsthand. When you travel, you develop an empathy for the people and really get to learn how they are impacted by world events. It’s easy to get complacent and feel comfortable in your own community. Traveling opens doors, both figuratively and literally. Even on a Caribbean cruise, you can experience the culture of the islands in a unique setting.
Travel Expands Your Palate
Eating local foods can be an eye opener. The real thing can be very different than what most Americans think of as foreign food. The American version of sushi is much different than what you might find in Kyoto. The tacos you’ve ate for years will taste much different in Guadalajara. Sampling traditional dishes from other places introduces your taste buds to many more flavors.
Travelling Improves Your Health
Someone once said, “a long stretch of road can teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet.” Travel is good for your mental and physical well-being. Travel takes your mind off your stressful problems, giving you time to relax. Exploring the architecture, art and music of another culture boosts your own creativity. You learn to connect with strangers, some who may not even speak your language. Travel gets you out of your rut. You may start to walk more, which can make your doctor very happy with you as your blood pressure goes down and you have more zeal.
Travel Is Education
Lifelong education keeps your brain sharp. When you travel to other cultures, you have to be resourceful. You learn new words. Travel jargon is a language itself. Dealing with buses and rentals can be challenging. Travel is a way of keeping your mind active. You might even learn some new games that you can take home with you, but even if you don’t, you’ll still have memories that you can’t find in your own hometown.
Travel Makes You More Interesting
If you’ve ever found yourself at a loss for words, you need travel. When you visit new places and learn new things, you can bring that to your conversations with others. You don’t have to give a blow-by-blow of your travels, you can simply insert your memories into conversation and get people excited about what you saw. Talking about the unfamiliar is an eye opening experience that can last all evening. You’ll have stories to share at your next BBQ that won’t make your teenagers’ eyes roll.
Travelling Turns You Into an Adventurer
Today’s world is interconnected as never before, but most people never really explore faraway places. Some people never get farther than their own state borders. When you travel, you face the unknown. One day you might be a hiker in the woods, searching for local flora and fauna. The next day, you’re in a cantina enjoying the local brew talking to the local handyman about plumbing. There’s no way to know where the road will lead you.
Travel gets you out of your comfort zone. You don’t have to take an overnight flight to places unknown to get the benefits of travel. Explore a cultural center in your state. Take a cruise to an exotic city. Enjoy a hike through a state park.