Photo credit:Marten Bjork
Travel to Lift Your Soul
Home is definitely where the heart is. It is a place of comfort and reliability. But let’s face it, most of us need to mix it up a bit. We need to seek adventure, explore, meet new people and try new wines and epicurean delights! Travel is definitely a way to satisfy all these needs & lift your soul.
Growing up in a European family, I felt very fortunate to have to travel to Europe as a child so that we could visit family, I have such fond memories of my summers in France. I had a lot of family and cousins my age, we had so much fun exploring the countryside and the city, walking to the bakery each morning to get fresh baguette and croissants to eat along with a big bowl of cafe au lait was heavenly. This was before you could find all these things in the US, so it was all a special treat. I had to use my French language skills to communicate and I always learned new things.
At the time I was just having fun, but these experiences shaped me in a profound way. They forced me to get out of my comfort zone and understand that my way is not necessarily the right way. As a child, this is a bit easier to do as we are more adaptable. As an adult, it is even more important that we challenge ourselves to open our minds to the adventures that are around us - whether it is traveling to a faraway land or going on a camping trip, there are so many benefits to traveling. Here are just some of the benefits of traveling and how it does wonders for the soul.
Travel Improves your health
Getting away allows us to decompress and forget about our everyday worries. A change of scenery and a renewed purpose, gives us a breather from our day to day life. When we travel, we are generally put in a unique situation which heightens our senses. We need to concentrate on the now and make decisions allowing us to be further distracted from our life at home which is a stress reliever. It is a way of washing away all the worries that we get consumed in and just explore and enjoy. All of which is good for the body and the soul.
Travel opens our mind
Most of the time, when we travel, we are exposed to so many different things: different foods, different cultures or even different languages. Whatever the situation, we have the ability to try new things and be put in unknown situations. We’re forced to open our minds to the challenge, be creative and accepting of the situation and adapt. Oftentimes, we try things we would never have experienced and it broadens our minds and makes us more accepting and unfearful of the unknown. Meeting new people and being exposed to different ways of living, makes us more empathetic and understanding of others. We realize that our way is just one way in this world.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” –Mark Twain
Travel makes us smarter
Let’s face it, when we travel we have to do research. We have to plan. We even may have to learn some words in a different language. This challenges the brain. We use our skills to learn, memorize and practice. We become more experienced and these skills help us grow smarter.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” –Saint Augustine
Travel makes you appreciate home
No matter how exotic the vacation, there is always something that is not as nice as the feeling of home. When we travel, we may miss the food we are used to, sleeping in our bed, our favorite show or seeing our friends and family. Sometimes we take the things we have at home for granted so it is nice to be reminded from time to time of the things we should be thankful for.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain
Do yourself a favor and make sure you plan a trip for yourself. Take time to explore new things and jump into an adventure. It doesn’t have to be exotic and it doesn’t even have to be far away, but get away. It will lift your spirits, broaden your horizons and give you a new perspective on your life.
Happy Travels!
Cheers!
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