The word vacation means many things to different people. While some may have images of five-star resorts and white sandy beaches, others may prefer a tent set alongside a quaint stream. But no matter your budget, timeframe, or destination, here are 10 reasons that you should set aside time for a vacation.
1. Cultural exposure
We all feel more comfortable at home with our own things, friends, and ways of thinking. But this familiarity limits our understanding of the world and can lead us to become narrow-minded, jaded, and self-serving if we don’t understand how other people think, live, and socialize. When you go on vacation and you experience these things in a positive atmosphere, it’s a lot easier to learn and be receptive.
2. Memory permanence
It’s hard for me to separate in my mind all of the days’ activities that are so frequent and similar. They all look the same. In order for your mind to create a long-term memory, the event has to stand out as special. Whenever you go on vacation everything is special. Time spent with family, with your spouse, and even time by yourself stands out from the rest. You remember those moments for the rest of your life.
3. Refresh your perspective
I don’t know about you, but I get caught up in everyday worries both big and small: finance, health, relationships, that weird noise the car is making, etc.. They end up spinning around in my mind and I seem unable to solve them or ignore them. When you go on vacation all of these problems are still there, but you end up getting a fresh perspective on how to deal with them. Maybe you realize that some of them aren’t even worth worrying about. All the things you took for granted now find new appreciation.
4. Spending quality time with people you care about
We acquire a lot of responsibilities and relationships in our every day surroundings and these things require maintenance and attention which can create distractions from those closest to us whether that be our spouse, our children, or even parents and extended family. When you go on vacation it is time dedicated to those individuals, and it’s done in a fun environment, free of distractions from work, friends, or responsibilities.
5. See the world and appreciate the scenery
Sometimes when I arrive at work in the morning I forget how I got there. I drove the whole way there without looking around, because I see the same view everyday, and I am all in my head, living internally. That can’t be healthy for driving safely or for my mental health. Seeing a different landscape and experiencing different weather is such a refreshing experience. It awakens your senses that have grown bored and accustomed to the same old things and when you return home, your newly revived senses may notice new things about your home surroundings and environment.
6. Eat new food
We get stuck in a rut in our eating habits. Do you find yourself eating the same thing for lunch every day of the week? Does the lady at Panera greet you by name when you enter? Does she know your kids’ birthdays? (Mine does.) I am not saying this is a bad thing. I love feeling welcome and enjoy the relationships that I have cultivated, but we need to try new things and enjoy new tastes. Even some chains serve different foods in different cultures, but you will never know that unless you go there. Find a small mom and pop restaurant or a hole in the wall that is unique to that area, and enjoy. You won’t regret it.
7. Create a new story
When I walk by a coworker, sometimes they ask “How are things?” I have to reply and say “same oh same oh,” whatever the heck that means. It means I have no story. Basically, nothing new or exciting has happened to me because every day is pretty much the same: wake up, go to work, go home, help with supper and the kids, clean up, watch TV, hang out with my wife, go to bed, and repeat.
Going on vacation is a new schedule, filled with new people, new places, and interactions that result in interesting stories. Something crazy always happens to me when I travel, and even if it is something that I’d rather have avoided – like the car breaking down – it always ends up being an interesting or even funny story. If we viewed the calamities in life as interesting stories, like we do on vacation, things would be a lot easier to deal with.
8. Have something to look forward to
We all have to pay the bills, and that requires us to work steady jobs, but those jobs require us to live the same day over and over, and let’s be honest it can get us down. Set a date and destination and think about it at work and it will change your entire outlook! You may even find that because you don’t want to think about work while you’re on vacation, you work more efficiently in the present so that you can get as much done as possible before you leave. You’ll probably be happier as well, just knowing you have something to look forward to, which increases productivity and all-around job-satisfaction.
9. See friends and family
Sometimes friends move away or families may find themselves spread across the globe. Catching up with people you love, but don’t often see is a great reason to take your next trip. Plus, because they are locals, they will have great insight on the best places to eat, and fun things to see and do.
10. The world needs to see you
Nothing says there is still peace in the world like tourists. Tourists are non-threatening observers, looking for an experience. If we lived our lives in the mindset of a tourist, the world would be a better place. Most tourists are open to learning, quick to apologize, and good tippers. They aren’t territorial, possessive, or out to steal or take advantage of anyone. They want to preserve the culture, because it is different than their own. Traveling not only opens our minds to other cultures, but it opens the minds of other cultures to you.
Get on the internet, pull out the travel and adventure magazines, and get to planning. There is no better time than now to change your perspective, and change the world’s perspective of you.
