By Annie Emanuelli, Bucket List Travel
I love to travel, and I’ve been to some amazing bucket list places all over the world: places like Egypt, China, Africa, Italy, Russia, Iceland, Lapland and Peru.
When I get back from a trip, my friends want to see my pictures and hear my stories. Many of them say: “I wish I could go there!” My response: you CAN, and I hope you DO!
Here’s a secret: it will NEVER be the perfect time to travel. You will always have a reason to put it off – not enough money, no passport, no vacation time, work commitments.
But we’re not guaranteed old age. One day you’ll find you’ve run out of tomorrows. So go now!
Here are my top 10 ways travel will enrich your life.
1. Traveling proves that dreams can come true.
You imagine it, dreamed about it, wished for it. At Bucket List Travel, our motto is “Stop dreaming, start packing!” Figure out how to manage any obstacles and start planning. No one can do it but you.
2. Travel shakes things up.
Doing the same thing in the same place day after day, year after year, can numb your mind and make you feel stuck and stale. A big trip can make you feel alive again.
3. Travel challenges you.
How do I get around? What do I eat? How do I communicate if I don’t speak the language? Figuring it all out will increase your feelings of accomplishment, make you proud, and give you some memorable moments of joy.
4. Travel gets your motor running.
People are hard-wired for the excitement of adventure, and travel is the best way to get it. Exploring King Tut’s Tomb, hiking Machu Picchu, and watching lions from a Land Rover in Africa made my heart beat faster and made me feel excited to be alive. It can do that for you too.
5. Travel gives you a new perspective.
Mark Twain said: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Meeting people from other cultures will expand your capacity for wonder, joy and appreciation of the amazing diversity on our big blue marble.
6. Travel gives you cool stories.
Let’s face it: just saying “last year, when I was in Cairo,” automatically makes you more interesting. Cool pictures and stories can make you irresistible and give you some sure-fire conversations starters.
7. Travel is literally food for thought.
The way people in other countries prepare and eat food will astound you. Go ahead; try it! You might not like it all, but you may find your new favorite food.
8. Travel is educational.
Travel teaches you history, geography, languages, economics, pictures and sociology in a hands-on way that no class ever could. Learning makes our brains more active and increases our level of happiness.
9. Travel makes you appreciate what you have.
Being away from things we take for granted – family, friends, home – makes us appreciate them more.
10. Travel makes you less materialistic.
On the road, you learn just how little stuff you actually need to be happy.
The choice is yours: You can sit at home, wishing you were doing something cool, somewhere exotic. Or you could set a travel goal, work to make it happen, and experience the visceral thrill of being someplace new.
Experiencing the natural, cultural and man-made wonders of the world will shake. Up your routine, give you wonderful memories to treasure, and make you a happier and more awesome person in the long run. Not to mention sexier. ;-)
Just GO!