Travel

We have all heard it – travel is rejuvenating, life changing, eye-opening, exhilarating. Agreed.  I am so thankful that traveling was part of my lifestyle growing up.  My parents loaded us in the back of the station wagon and proceeded to take us everywhere. We even took a month trip which commenced in our home town in New Jersey, on up to Prince Edward Island, all across Canada, down through the Pacific Northwest, and crossing the Midwest all the way back to our starting point.  The stops along the way were wonderful; Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Arcadia National Park, Banff, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Glacier National Park, The Badlands – too many to mention. In addition to this memorable trip, we camped every summer and traveled at any given opportunity.

Were my parents wealthy?  Not by a long stretch, but we made travel a priority and we managed.  Prior to every trip, it was a family affair to save for it.  We made piggy banks out of cans and had them scattered around the house and started saving coins – placing a few in the can each and every day – it added up quickly.  This gave us a vested interest in the trip. Since we had a limited budget, we stayed in a hotel one night a week, and the rest of the time we camped. My point being that you can pull off a vacation, or a weekend getaway, or a “stay-cation” with a little ingenuity and an investment of planning time.

The memories I have and the perspective gained from travel are invaluable  – these trips helped to make me who I am, of that I am certain.  Camping travel trips is where I learned my love of astronomy and of nature – staring up at the stars, learning where the big and little dipper are, hiking for miles, making little villages out of rocks in the gravel, cooking over an open fire, and spending hours trying to skip rocks more than three times. Even the endless hours staring out the window heading to our destination was a time for imagination.  Travel matters –  it takes me outside of my day-to-day routine, and introduces me to something new. This fresh perspective helps me to step back and see the bigger picture.

I grew up thinking vacations were “normal” so when I met my husband to be and we started planning our lives together, I was surprised to hear that his family seldom took family vacations.  I nipped that philosophy in the bud from the get go and proceeded to plan and save for the vacations we would take forever; almost immediately.   So off we went, traveling when we could.   Keep in mind we were not jet setting all across Europe, or climbing the Himalayas, but we found opportunities to travel in the form of weddings to go to, family to visit, and “days attached on” to business trips we took.   After our children came along, we kept it up. Driving road trips were plentiful and it did not require a huge budget.  My children, as young adults, are very appreciative and grateful for the places they have been to.

If you aren’t sure exactly where to go – take advantage of all the relationships you have in your life that will encourage travel.

A few grounds rules –
If you are invited to a family wedding that requires some travel – GO.
If you are asked to visit someone at their new home – GO.
If you are asked to visit friends who moved away – GO.
If you really want to go somewhere but aren’t sure how to pull it off – invest in the planning time – PLAN!
If your sister moves to Paris for a few years and invites you to come over – GO.
If you can’t swing a long week vacation – break up your paid vacation from work and do little short three-day weekends.

I look back on my life and realize that most of our travel was family/friend related and, most importantly, due to the fact that we did not say “no!” Even if the location is not that glamorous, have google check out all the local attractions either on your way to your destination or while you are there.

The value of vacation days
While it’s no surprise that American workers often don’t take all their vacation days, the U.S. Travel Association found that clocking more hours at the office isn’t likely to pay off. If you need more motivation to cash in those unused days off, consider this: An audit report from Ernst & Young revealed that for every 10 vacation hours an employee takes, performance review scores increase 8 percent.  Vacationers, whether it’s local or going away, come back to work recharged.  It’s a game changer in perspective – trust me, I know. Vacation has value!

Relieve your stress! Do you feel burned out at your job or just tired of the same grind?  Take regular vacations to reduce your burn out level long-term.

Gain Perspective – I find when I am wrestling with a problem or issue, that particular issue becomes more clear while on vacation.  Just by removing myself from the situation and taking a step back I have found to be extremely helpful.

Create stronger family connections by taking vacations – Exposing children to different cultures and lifestyles is eye-opening to them, and the memories you generate and talk about over the years creates a strong family bond.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine