As we enter 2010, most of us have a variety of New Year’s resolutions generally involving ways to better ourselves. I challenge you to add traveling more to your list. The benefits of traveling are as important as exercise and a healthy diet. For starters, traveling allows you to learn about yourself and the world. If you keep your eyes and mind open you will learn something new, whether it is where to find the best apple pie in a nearby town or how to dance salsa in another country. Traveling also creates incredible lifelong memories. Think to some of your favorites times in the past, I would guess many were on vacation. This is a result of the natural relaxation we feel when we leave our daily obligations. Traveling allows us to free our mind and to relax in ways we can’t do when we are surrounded by the stresses of daily life. The result is increased happiness and freedom to enjoy new things as well as the things we normally take for granted.
Turning off you blackberry and heading out of town provides a liberating escape from the day-to-day grind, be it work or otherwise. We do it far too infrequently in the United States. Do you know that the Europeans enter a state of shock when they first learn that the average number of vacation days in the United States is 10. Many European countries have 5 to 6 weeks of vacation per year and see it as necessary to unwind, refresh and enjoy the beauty the world has to offer. While it may not be possible to create a situation where you have more vacation days in 2010, it is always possible to do a better job at taking advantage of what you have.
To make the most of your vacation days, use them in large groups. Turn off communication when you go (I promise the world will go on without you regardless of how certain you are that it will not). Get out of your city to a new, exciting destination. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone in 2010 and reap the benefits of learning about new parts of the country or the world. You will come back refreshed and with a new perspective to apply to your daily life.
Depending on where you are in your life, you resolution may be to go on a long weekend or a two-month trip. Wherever you are, push your comfort envelope a little; you will be glad you did. You may be reading this saying, 'that sounds great, but it’s impossible for me.' Have faith, it’s not impossible for anyone and the only thing holding you back is the belief that you can’t. I thought the same thing at different points in my life, but I did it anyway. Each time I returned refreshed and reenergized; and I found the rest of the world was about the same as I left it. The crises that surrounded me when I departed were either resolved or waiting for me, depending on how important they really were. Challenge yourself in 2010 to give yourself the benefit of relaxation and a great vacation filled with life long memories. After all, why do you work so hard if you can’t enjoy it?
If your worry is the monetary, know that traveling is often times cheaper than being in the states and there are some incredible travel deals out there right now. Watch out for my January series, traveling on a budget.
Here is a short list of suggestions to get your mind thinking of what type of vacation might suit you:
- A weekend trip to Moab Utah to enjoy hiking and biking in some of the countries most beautiful national parks.
- A long weekend in New York, Chicago or Vancouver. The vibrancy of these cities will no doubt leave you a little tired, but energized.
- A week trip to dive the marine reserves off the coast of the cayes in Belize. The pace is slow and you might get to swim with a manatee. Lobster season starts in July and kicks off with a great festival on Caye Caulker.
- A trip to Antigua, Guatemala to take in the rich culture of the Guatemalans and hike to Picaya volcano where you can get within an arm’s length of flowing lava. Semana Santa in Antigua is the second largest Easter celebration in the world and is a sight to be seen.
- Two weeks surfing in Mal Pais, Costa Rica. The water is warm and the waves are great.
- Swim with the whale sharks in Placencia, Belize around the full moon in May.
- Feeling adventurous? Take a month and trek through the Himalayas in Nepal, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful countries in the world. For information on traveling in Nepal, see my blog.
- Visit Thailand’s beautiful beaches and scuba dive with the most colorful fish in the sea.
- Spend a week hiking the Inca trail on the way to Macchu Picchu, where one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world meets some of man’s greatest accomplishments in construction.
For more travel ideas, visit my blog and learn more about the adventures that await you in the world.
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