Why everyone should travel. *
There
are so many benefits to travelling. You can meet new
people, discover different cultures and experience some amazing food
(or coffee, in my case).
Exploring
new places also gives you a new level of understanding and helps you
see what a small role you have in the world...I mean, y’know, in
the best way possible. It opens your mind and improves your
perspective on things.
Mama
Latter always likes to comment on that kind of thing when we’re
flying off on holiday. We’ll be in Gatwick North Terminal; grabbing
coffee at Pret, selecting a perfect vegan breakfast pot in EAT, or
just sitting on the ground floor waiting for our gate number, and
she’ll look around at all the people crammed into a single space,
each one going somewhere different, somewhere new or very familiar,
and she’ll say wistfully: ‘it really makes you think just how
many people there are in the world...’
This
of course has become such a common occurrence that we now say
it for her before she gets the chance. It’s a
Mama-ism!
Travelling has
also been shown
to improve your overall health,
as well as help your creativity and make you
generally better at dealing with stressful situations. It can be
easy to see why, too; you go to places where you don’t speak the
language necessarily, but then you spend time learning how
to get from one place to the other, and you buy a
coffee with more confidence each day.
If
you’re finding your day to day work – or even
personal – life a little too hectic and stressful, then
planning a trip is always a good idea. Think of it as
something to work towards – or a break right in the middle of the
madness, when you will no doubt need it most.
In
case you needed any more reasons...
Improve
communication skills.
As
I already mentioned, you have to communicate when you travel – often
very awkwardly, if you’re not at least semi-fluent in another
language. So, being able to read
body language and speaking
clearly yourself are all skills that can be improved through travel.
(I
really thought my German was improving after my 4th trip
to Berlin, but then I went to a cafe and asked for ‘vasser’
and was brought a tall glass of orange juice…? Evidently I need to
work harder...)
Helps
you manage money.
When
you only have a certain amount of money to book a trip or to
take with
you on
a trip, then you really gotta learn to manage it. Whether
that means taking extra time to compare airport parking prices at Gatwick, maybe, or just setting yourself
an amount each day for food, sightseeing and evening bevs.
(When
I went to Aus last Christmas, I got a Caxton card. Super handy and
very easy to manage; no international costs and you can transfer
money onto it easily online. Thanks for the rec, Michelle G!)
Peace
of mind.
Getting
away from your ‘normal’ life, physically and mentally,
can be a much-needed breakin
the busy lives that we lead.
The stress and tension sometimes disappears as soon as we
step off the plane and into somewhere new. You have a
set amount of time to focus on something else and disconnect, if
only temporarily. You can hit the reset button!
Gets
you out of your comfort zone.
It’s
so true that life experiences often begin just outside your comfort
zone. The more that you are out of that safe – sometimes
restricting – space, the more chance you have of growing as a
person. You may find that what drove you crazy before, doesn’t any
more. You’re often forced to be more creative, open your mind and
use your imagination. Travel generally means you have to
get a little creative sometimes, as you explore new places and
spaces. It’s almost a literal ‘leaving of the comfort zone’.
Confidence
boost!
Going
to a place where you don’t know anyone can be so intimidating. But
if you are able to go there, explore, see the things you want to, and
make it home...your
confidence is gonna skyrocket. You can do
these things that challenge you the most. So...what are you waiting
for?
*
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