It is always fun to travel. My earliest memory of traveling is staring out at the trees speeding past on either side of the endless stretch of road, and then drifting in and out of sleep in the backseat of my dad’s Peugeot 504. This year, I’ve been blessed to travel often, both locally and abroad, and even now, the steady hum of the engine, plane or car, still sends me to sleep.

For most of us today, foreign destinations are a luxury because of the costs associated with getting a visa, flight and accommodation. Even local destinations are not without financial cost or perils. In spite of these, there are so many benefits to travelling that outweigh these costs.

• You Deserve A Break
  Daily life is defined by constantly meeting obligations, surviving on a routine, handling a series of repetitive tasks. It gets mundane, if not exhausting for everyone. Traveling to a new place breaks this routine and shifts your focus, from boring “robot mode” to exciting “adaptation mode”. This contextual change and its psychological influence reinvigorates you, often leaving you refreshed and ready when you return.
• Learn Something New
  Settling into new places requires the use of mental and often physical skills you haven’t employed in a while, and acquiring new knowledge you never had or thought you’d need. From learning a new language on the go, to snorkeling or horse-back riding, travelling always puts you in situations that enlighten you.
• Make New Friends
  I find it easier to make friends in new places. Curiosity often breaks the ice, then you both realize that there’s a lot to ask, talk about and share. A difference in language is often a good basis for new friendships. Be it a completely new language or English in a strange accent that’s difficult to decipher, the struggle to communicate is a hilarious test of one’s patience and intuition. Whether it’s in French, Hindu or Sign Language, the mutual delight you feel when communication finally happens sets off a special bond between people.
  Whether it’s to increase your social circle or business network, travelling is a good idea.
• Experience New Cultures
  Visiting a new place is always an adventure, even through simple observation. From spotting differences in dressing and interactions between new people, to their values and perspectives on societal and moral issues. Travelling gives you insight into other people’s way of life, making you open-minded and more tolerant of others. The experience could give you a few things to be thankful for, and others to aspire to.

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

• Try New Food
  There’s always some oral escapade when you try new foods, a heightening of senses, broadening your experience of life in a small but significant way. You might find something sour you can’t stomach, or something so delicious you don’t know how you’ve lived without it. Either way, it will be memorable.
• Boost your Self-Confidence
  Regardless of how meticulously you plan your trip, you will be faced with situations you “never hesperered“. Thinking quickly and successfully resolving a problem boosts your confidence and composure in dealing with tough circumstances and everyday hitches.
• Personal Growth
  If you are struggling at work, with school, relationships, or some damning issues, travel is a great way to move to a new phase in your life. A trip will provide opportunities to rediscover yourself, give you a clean break and time to decide on how to make a fresh start.
• More to Talk About
  Maybe not a life as action-packed as Jason Bourne, but travelling you acquire a lot of amusing, terrifying, bizarre or even awkward experiences. These give you something to talk about with friends, family or colleagues, making you an entertaining person to be around.
• Make Memories
  Good memories are a treasure trove you dig into now and again. In quiet moments, reliving these experiences increase endorphins and oxytocin, a hormone associated with pleasure and the other known to relieve stress. Travelling considerably swells this soothing collection.
• Boost Spirituality
  Travelling always fascinates and humbles me. You realize how big the world is and how small you are in the scheme of things. It’s overwhelming, but it also makes me realize how boundless and powerful God really is.
• Better Appreciate Home
  Homesick and returning, you see things differently. Old things look somewhat new. You notice things that you didn’t even see before. You make subconscious comparisons and see beauty in little differences and similarities you can now spot. Not to mention, home food tastes even better than you knew it to.

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

Traveling is a short-term endeavour with countless long-term benefits and opportunities for your personal life or your business. Besides reinvigorating you, making you smarter, happier, and more confident, travelling makes you a well-rounded person and is fun a family can enjoy.

The holidays are almost here. There are relaxing local resorts like Obudu Cattle Ranch and Yankari Game Reserve, and quite a number of countries we don’t need a visa to visit. So, why don’t you treat yourself or your loved ones to an adventure. Where would you like to explore?

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