We’ve had a long, tough year of travel bans and restrictions. With the pandemic taking a turn for the better in many facets and travel starting to turn back into a reality, I’m ready to explore the globe again.
My family and I are big on exploring the world. My six year old has been to fourteen countries so far, with much of our love leaning toward Mexico — and Frida, as my last blog post shared. Below are a few of the benefits I’m looking forward to gaining as we begin to seek adventure again:
Compassion and Cultural Awareness
Travel takes you away from your home and brings you to the dwelling place of others. Even if you’re only stopping in a new state, you’re experiencing climates, subcultures, foods, and colloquialisms you likely haven’t seen, tasted, or heard before.
If you’re traveling to a whole new country, you’ll be able to discover a way of life much different than your own. You’ll have the opportunity to gain compassion for others — pieces of their culture and ways of living included. You’ll be able to experience the reality of others in firsthand fashion — learning depths of information you can’t take in from the nightly news. You’ll see yourself in those who look, speak, and act nothing like you — giving you a level of compassion that will stick with you at home and abroad alike.
Who knows — you might even spot something that needs to be done better back at home, bringing a level of accountability and a chance for change back to the place you primarily spend your time.
Rest and Relaxation
One of the most obvious benefits of travel is relaxation. Taking a trip forces you to take a pause from your daily life, leaving many of your responsibilities behind. After all, you can’t fix the lawn mower or clean the kitchen sink while laying on a beach 1,000 miles from home.
Even if your trip falls more on the adventurous side, it’s a break for your mind. It’ll give you time to take in the wonder of nature or the beat of a new street, leaving fewer moments to worry about work or other burdens left behind.
Invoking Inspiration
With rest often comes a boost in inspiration and creativity. When you give your mind and body a chance to forget the stresses of daily life, more of your creative power can return. Maybe you’ll find the solution to a challenge you’ve been struggling with while you hike a high mountain, or maybe you’ll finally find that new business idea as you pass through a small market on the side of a street.
New experiences lead to renewed inspirations — business, art, and general life alike. They can awaken old passions we’ve been too burdened to build upon as well.
As simple as travel may sound, it truly does make an impact on every area of our lives. My family and I are definitely looking forward to continuing to reap these benefits (and many, many more) as we return to our adventurous lifestyle in post-COVID times.