The Unexpected Rewards of Traveling the World

As I recently delved into the photo archives of my travels, I was flooded with memories of incredible experiences that have left an indelible mark on my life.

Walking down memory lane, I began exploring how travel has unexpectedly shaped my life for the better.

Unlocking Joy: How Anticipating Travel Enhances Well-being

“Every man can transform the world from one of monotony
and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.”
– Irving Wallace

Planning a trip, whether a one-day escapade or a lengthier adventure, opens the door to a unique kind of joy that begins long before reaching your destination.

Studies have shown that anticipation provides more pleasure than the trip itself. Why? Because you’re envisioning the fun you’ll have, the places you’ll go, and the things you’ll see.

Revitalize Your Life: The Crucial Role of Travel in Stress Reduction

“One of the gladdest moments of human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into 
unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of 
routine, the cloak of many cares, and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy.”
– Richard Burton

In this hustle-bustle, multi-tasking, rush-rush-rush world we live in, it’s in our best interest to take time off for ourselves.  We need downtime to reduce stress levels, relax, refresh, and recharge.

According to a pre-pandemic press release by the U.S. Travel Association, “American workers left 768 million unused vacation days on the table in 2018, up 9% from the previous year. And 236 million of those days were forfeited completely, totaling more than $65 billion in lost benefits.” ¹

Yep. You read that right. The importance of taking time off cannot be emphasized enough.  Stress can wreak havoc on our bodies and can cause permanent damage to our health if we aren’t careful. The ability to decompress is critical to maintaining good physical and mental health.

Traveling allows us to focus on ourselves, do what we want when we want, and return with renewed energy and spirit.  It’s amazing what a simple change of scenery can do!

Cultivating Curiosity: The Magic of Exploring Unfamiliar Places

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as 
if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”
– Bill Bryson

Getting away from the places you go in your everyday life allows you to see and do different things than you do when you’re at home.  When you go somewhere you’ve never been, everything around you is new and interesting, and the possibilities are endless.

When I travel, I’ve found that the best way to experience a new place is to go with the flow and not have a stringent itinerary. This leaves the door open to wonderful new experiences.

Traveling with children can offer an even better perspective.  Children see the world around them from such a different perspective. Even the simplest thing is looked upon with a sense of curiosity and sometimes even awe.  When you take a child on a trip, even somewhere you’ve already been, you’ll see it again through their eyes.  Once familiar places seem brand new. We all need to summon the child within us so even the simple things in life bring us joy.

Cultural Insight Through Travel: Dispelling Misconceptions

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our” people
need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things 
cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
– Mark Twain

More often than not, what we think we know about a person or a culture is based on limited, biased, or incomplete information.

For example, several years ago, I dated a man from Israel.  He had moved to the U.S. when he was 11 and spoke English fluently.  However, his religion and culture were totally new to me.

I’d hear him talk to his father on the phone, and to me, it sounded more like a shouting match than a conversation. I’d say to him, “you shouldn’t yell at your father like that” and he’d reply, “I wasn’t yelling, that’s how we talk to each other.”  I thought he was nuts until I traveled to Israel with him and one of his daughters.

The three of us visited one of his uncles and his family with the other uncle we were staying with.  Shortly after arriving, the conversation between the men turned to politics, and the volume of the conversation grew progressively louder and more animated as each man tried to make his point.  (It was like listening to “The McLaughlin Group” or a similar political roundtable…but in Hebrew. LOL).

As I observed this interaction, it dawned on me that he was right: talking loudly was cultural; it wasn’t yelling as I perceived it.  Long story short, as a result of that trip, I understood him and his culture better by meeting other Israelis and seeing firsthand how they interacted with each other. It was a very positive and eye-opening experience.

Journey Within: How Travel Promotes Self-Discovery

“…When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way,
More attentive now
To the self you bring along”
– John O’Donoghue (excerpt from “For the Traveler”)

Traveling often involves a lot of downtime, whether on a road trip or in an airport.  This downtime provides a lot of time for introspection. Eventually, your mind inevitably turns to things that concern you, problems you’re having at home or at work, your never-ending “To Do” list, and so on.

Many people may find this disconcerting, but it can truly be a blessing.  When we have a block of time alone, we can focus solely on ourselves, our wants and needs, and truly consider what, if any, actions we need to take to be happy.

I find that when I let my mind wander to other things, a solution to a problem or a new idea will come to me more readily than when I focus all of my energy on thinking about it.  Solutions have even come to me in my dreams.

How you deal with things during your trip will also help you get to know and understand yourself better.

Trying new things that take you outside of your comfort zone can be scary but fun, showing you that you are more brave than you thought you were.

Serendipity in Travel: Embracing the Unexpected

“Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when
we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.”
— Lawrence Block

This quote could not apply more to me personally.  I like to see and do touristy things when I travel. However, I also like to get off the beaten path, away from tourists, and explore.  Either way, I have always found really interesting things when I’ve been on my way to see something else.

For example, on the way to my boyfriend’s brother’s house in central Virginia, we decided to take a “shortcut,” which led us down an unfamiliar road. We didn’t recognize anything, and just when we were ready to turn around, we came across the coolest church I’d ever seen.  It was like a small-scale version of the castle in Disneyland.

Another time, when we were in Nashville, we walked a few blocks past the popular Music Row area and stumbled upon a beautiful, historic hotel with gorgeous architectural details inside and out (see above photo).

These are the moments I live for and love.  I find that the more open I am to just going with the flow, the more I discover.

Broadening Horizons: Travel’s Impact on Global Perspectives

 “People who don’t travel cannot have a global view, all they see is what’s in front of them. 
Those people cannot accept new things because all they know is where they live.”
– Martin Yan

Most of us form our worldviews based on what the media tells us. If the past several Presidential elections have taught us nothing else, they’ve taught us that we definitely can’t believe everything we hear (or see, for that matter).

To truly understand what’s going on in different cities and countries around the world, we need to see things for ourselves. We need to talk to the people to see how they live, their environment, and what crosses they bear before we can truly understand them and their culture.

Preserving Memories: The Role of Photography in Travel

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over 
again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”
— Pat Conroy

Did you know that 81% of Americans would rather receive experience-based gifts than a physical gift? ²  I didn’t either, but I think that’s a good sign.  People are beginning to place more value on experiences versus the newest “in” thing for fulfillment.

One of the ways I personally like to preserve memories is to take pictures.  I take pictures of EVERYTHING!  I love capturing images from different angles, in a different light, and with different camera settings.

The people, places, and things that are characteristic of a destination tell a story.  With time, our memories tend to fade (I know my memory isn’t what it used to be, and I’m still relatively young. LOL).  Roger Kingston said it best: “A camera is a Save button for the mind’s eye.”

Taking pictures gives me lasting memories I can enjoy long after returning.  Looking at my pictures, I can remember where I was when I took them, what was happening around me, and what compelled me to take them.

What benefits do you get from traveling?  Please share in the comments below.  I can’t wait to read them!
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¹  “National Plan for Vacation Day: The Antidote to ‘Vacation Deprivation’ ‘”U.S. Travel Association Press Release, January 22, 2020

^{2 “}This Holiday Season, Americans Want Experiences, Not Stuff,” by Jodi Holzband, Squarefoot Blog, November 28, 2016