I’m back from The Netherlands and trying to get used again to life in Singapore. As I get back into the swing of swings and create new and inspirational articles for all of you, here is an article I wrote a while ago but never published.
I would love to get your feedback on this and learn more about why you travel or how you holidays have been.
Enjoy!I have always liked to travel. Something within me just wants to go and explore places. It certainly did not come from my parents as my father tended to get homesick really quickly and never wanted to leave home. After numerous pleas from me and my brother he would reluctantly go with us somewhere a few hours away from where we lived. How I longed to discover more exotic places.
My first real trip abroad was with a friend to Italy. I was 16. Another milestone was my first trip by airplane when I was 21, flying to Abu Dhabi of all places to visit a friend!
But now I have been in many airplanes and have seen places all over the world. I even lived for an extensive time in many countries. (you may find these articles on how your style changes in different countries and the advantages and disadvantages of living abroad interesting). The only continent that I really still need to discover is South America so that will be something to look forward to.
So is traveling important?
Does it enrich your life?
Of course I would answer with a resounding YES and here are some reasons to back that up.
You learn
You may have heard about other cultures in the class room or know that there are other ways of doing things. But not until you have truly experienced it will you fully understand it or remember it.
You learn about:
- other ways of doing things
- different religions
- different ways of practising and enjoying music
- different ways of doing art
- different foods
- a new way of speaking
- about how the world works
Your senses get stimulated
The things you see and experience on your travels will stay with you for life. Some memories are still so alive in your head that it feels like you are still there. You can get lots of new ideas for your art or other creative activities. Being away from your usual surroundings will really stimulate your creativity and thinking. I know I have a long list of new ideas to work through here in Singapore!
You can leave your responsibilities and worries behind for a few weeks
It is so important to not have anything to worry about for a few weeks. (so don’t take your work with you on holiday!) These few weeks can really give you the energy to revitalize your mind and keep you going.
You learn to be adventurous
In many cases you will need to step out of your comfort zone. You may need to speak in a different language, eat foods that you are not familiar with, get into a car with complete strangers, get along with people in your travel group that are very different from yourself. All this is very good for your development as a person. It feels amazing when you have accomplished things you never thought you could. Knowing that you can accomplish things if you just set your mind to it may help you to achieve more in your day-to-day life as well.
You get reminded about the beauty in the world
Sometimes you can get so overwhelmed with all the bad news in the newspaper and on television that you forget that there are still many places of quietness and beauty in this world. Seek those amazingly beautiful places out and forget about everything else. Very relaxing and refreshing.
You become more tolerant
While traveling you experience many different ways that people live and do things. But even though people do things in a different way you also realise that they are not very different from you. They too want to be happy, be loved and be with their families. They too want to live in a safe and clean world.
You get more appreciation for what you currently have
In some places that you visit living conditions are so bad that you feel truly blessed with the life you have. It really puts things into perspective. Travelling to those places really makes you appreciate all the things that you have at home. If what you saw empowers you to act and help then this is great too. Both for yourself and the world.
You will become a better leader
As a leader you will need to manage different people, often from different cultures and backgrounds. You will have a much better chance of managing all those people better when you understand where they come from, understand their culture and habits.
Please note that many of these benefits are also there for short trips close to where you live. So even if your budget or time are tight, you can still go and reap the benefits of being away from home.
If you like to see some of my travel adventures you can check out all the articles in the travel category of this site.
I hope I have given you enough reasons to pack up your bags and go traveling! If you want to add on to my reasons for traveling then I would love to read your suggestions below. I would also love to hear how travelling has enriched your life or hear about your recent holidays.
Happy travels!
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Have you ever come to New Zealand? I would love to meet you, especially since we share the same birthday 🙂
Yes, I have been to New Zealand 2 times. Who knows, I may travel there again in the future….
I`ll hold you to that, lol. That would be awesome.
By nature I am not a travelling person. The thing I always seek is laughter with friends. And friendship needs time to grow. Not something you will achieve on your holidays very easily. I have had holidays where we met with a group in the evening regularly and killed ourselves laughing. Those were good holidays.
I travel and I agree with all you say, but I am not an explorer, there is no great need or passion for travelling in me. Nevertheless if I were not to travel at all anymore I would probably miss it.
Yes I know you seek very different experiences from holidays. We are different in that way. Although I enjoy meeting up with people, I also enjoy the times where it’s just me and my family in a completely different environment….
Funnily enough Rita and I were just ‘talking’ about travelling and I am just researching where to go next, so this is topical. I first went ‘abroad’ with my family aged 7 and have been lucky enough to travel with my husband.
I love travelling and don’t begrudge a penny we have spent on it. I would rather spend money on travelling than anything else (and if I can buy a few clothes while I am away even better!). I like to go to new places but there is a comfort in going back to old favourites too. I have had complicated holidays (13 flights!) and simple holidays. I enjoy the research and I like to read about the history and politics of the places. I enjoy meeting local people and hearing their stories, seeing the flora and fauna, and interesting architecture and scenery. I like the stimulation and also the relaxation. For me travelling is about creating shared memories and storing up those memories for when I can no longer travel; it’s also about educating myself. I have items around my home and wardrobe that tell the story of my travels. Back to booking the next one….
(By the way, I don’t like the pop up ‘You may also like’ thingy that’s appeared on the screen!)
Creating memories is a good one!
I mostly like to explore new places but really don’t enjoy the planning. It takes too much time! That’s why we often just buy plane tickets, rent a car and then see what happens. But that only works for the big trips. We now have to plan our smaller and bigger trips for this year again and we don’t know where we want to go. As a big Asia fan, do you have some recommendations?
Also, I’have had that pop-up for 2 years now on the site and felt it was non-intrusive. Why is it bothering you?
Hi Sylvia
The pop up seemed to be behaving differently last time I logged in! Now it’s back to normal. Must be my computer!
Some of the most interesting places I have been to are Vietnam, Burma (Myanmar) and Cambodia. You can travel the length of Vietnam by car quite easily in a couple of weeks and see some fantastic places. Spend a few days in Hanoi – it is changing quickly but he old part is so interesting.
Not sure what the situation is regarding travel in Burma at the moment but you would need to fly between major sites in Rangoon, Mandalay and Pagan/Bagan, but well worth it. The latter is a huge site filled with stupa (temples) – amazing.
Angkor Wat in Cambodia is a must see, but has become very commercial since we were there.
On the other hand you can base yourself in Bangkok and do side trips to Laos, Cambodia etc.
If any one destination appeals I can give you more detailed info and honest opinions.
Although I’ve been to Vietnam’s 2 main cities, I never drove there so that may be an option. I’ve been and absolutely loved Cambodia. Laos is one of the options for this year as is Burma. Other places we’re looking at are Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Hi again
We went to Laos but I am not sure it’s a destination in its own right although it may have opened up a bit since then. Vietnam is one of my favourite places and we have been twice. As for the Maldives – that’s a particular sort of holiday – beach and relaxation. Nick has been and said there isn’t much to do.
I can absolutely vouch for Sri Lanka. We went in 2012 and loved it. We did a tour of the island with a private driver (not expensive) and ended up on the beach for a few days. You need to be careful what time of year you go as it can be quite wet in the centre (tea plantation country). It has such a varied landscape that it reminded us of all sorts of other places we had been. I’m sure you would love it too. Again I can provide our route and suggestions.
I have been treavelling a lot, plenty of trips to various countries in the Far East, several times to the States, Mexico and part of the Carribean, North Africa, Namibia and numerous times within Europe, especially the Mediterranean countries. And I spent a lot of time in England. All those trips have been so rewarding! Especially as a lot of them took place very individually, no organised trips or pre-booked accommodation but very close to local people when we stayed at small guest houses.
The trip to Birma is the one with the most intensive memories. It was spectacular to quietly sit on top of the ancient temple ruins and soak in the view…
Part of my trips I have done on my own, another experience I don’t want to miss.
Annette | Lady of Style
Wow Annette, you’ve really been around! Birma is still on our wish list for sure. Will need to find out more and see what’s possible.
Great reasons to travel! Have you ever been to Canada. It’s really a wonderful country and I’m not just saying that because I live here. 😉 In answer to one of your questions, my holiday was great! I took a month off my blog from June to July this year for a “holiday”. The reason the word holiday is in quotations is because during it I gave birth to my first child at age 41! Age is nothing but a number and thanks for demonstrationg that often on your blog!
Yes Canada is beautiful. I have been both to the East and West of Canada even though I’m sure there is much more to discover there.
Congratulations with the birth of your first child. That’s quite a milestone!
My home country is New Zealand so I have naturally travelled extensively there. I have lived in Australia for 25 years now and have now travelled here a lot, living in different states, and recently moving to Melbourne to live. I went to England for a month when I was 22. I get homesick easily but as I’ve become older I’m not as bad! I do however fear flying (since having my son) so that puts paid to any o/seas travelling. Because of this I “google earth” travel! I agree with what you say Sylvia about the benefits of seeing other cultures and beautiful places in our world.
I couldn’t agree more with what you wrote here.
bisous
Suzanne
Wonderful article, Sylvia.
Yes, I love to travel, hence my blogname CurlyTraveller;-). I like to take my time and be longer in one place, in order to go beyond and behind the obvious and beyond the major sights. Fortunately I am often able to do so.
My blog allows me to share my travels, experiences and pictures and gives an extra dimension to my travels.