*This post is sponsored by CheapOAir but all opinions are my own
One of my many goals in life is to one day travel the world. I’m one of those people who would rather live within my means and use disposable income for frequent travel rather than on material things.
Most people I know agree that travel is essential for our overall happiness and well-being. I know for me personally, I find that my anxiety tends to melt away whenever we’re away on vacation–even if for a couple of days.
After all, there’s something to be said for leaving all of our “problems” behind for a little while while we sight see and create new memories together and with our family.
As part of my “wellness project”, I have decided that incorporating frequent travel-both near and far is a must and I’ve put together a list of benefits that I experience through travel.
Benefits of travel:
- Taking a break. It goes without saying that frequent travel allows us to get away from the every day demands of life. Doing this can help us rest and reset which refreshes and rejuvenates our mind body and spirit.
- Increase in creativity. When we see new sights, taste new foods, and meet new people through travel, we take away experiences that can quite literally rewire our brain and build new connections. In fact, a study done by Kellogg professor in 2009 proves that far away travel does in fact help us become more creative.
- Getting active. If you are someone who generally lives a sedentary lifestyle there’s no doubt that traveling will in fact get you moving. From walking in the airport, to walking around a resort, to sight seeing in a new town–there is generally a lot of activity involved with travel. This can have huge benefits on someone’s health and well-being.
- Strength to deal with uncertainty. There’s no doubt that traveling can bring forth a set of circumstances that are both unplanned and unexpected. Although this type of uncertainty can cause stress, it can also help to strengthen us by teaching us new ways to cope with and find solutions for.
- Decrease in anxiety and depression. Oftentimes, travel can help us forget what’s bothering us psychologically because it requires us to focus in on completely unique experiences. Also, depending on destination, experiencing the beauty of the world in all its glory can act as an anti-depressant in and of itself.
Potential frequent travel hurdles
With all of this said, there are of course some hurdles to frequent travel and that is taking time off of work (I run my own business so stepping away from work can be stressful) and finding childcare when my Hubby and I want to travel alone can also be a hurdle.
This is why It’s always important to plan ahead, over-communicate when necessary (with colleagues, clients, and family), and make sure you’re covering all your bases.
Frequent travel when on a budget
Most people would agree that traveling can be expensive especially if you are planning on doing it frequently.
The financial burden can be quite distressing if you are not carefully planning and spending within your means and budget.
So how can we travel often without burdening our wallets (and ultimately, our minds)?
Over the last few years, my husband and I have booked various trips for us both together, with our families and separately (business trips) and have found pretty good deals for trips both within the US and abroad.
There are great websites that you can use to find you great deals on travel packages–It’s a matter of using the very best one.
Early last year, I took a solo trip to a blogging conference in Irvine, California and booked my ticket with CheapOAir.
I compared the price to dozens of other websites and found that the price I received off of CheapOAir for this particular destination, was by far the most affordable.
The price I paid for 2 nights in a prestige hotel plus flight was only $555.40! We’ve stuck to booking all our travel through their website ever since.
Do what’s right for you.
When you can find ways to travel frequently, you will feel a sense of fulfillment, happiness, and joy that only travel can bring.
Let’s make it our goal to travel more frequently in 2020 and beyond–that’s our goal at least.