Travel is a cure-all for any problem life might throw at you.
That’s rubbish, of course. But the positive effects of travel are well-documented, including its ability to broaden our perspective, strengthen our relationships, help us appreciate home and increase the number of experiences we encounter. Because of this, some people are tempted to idealize, over-commercialize or overstate the benefits of changing geographies. This is a mistake. Let’s set the record straight.
You Don’t Have to Travel to Travel
We’ve gone over this already, but it bears repeating. When funds, time or energy levels are low but you still want to go places, consider planning your next trip, reading or taking in a movie, disorienting yourself at home or even creating art. There’s no doubt that crossing physical boundaries can accelerate our enjoyment of life. But mental travel can be just as effective.
It Won’t Fix Us
Some people travel to stay in constant motion or run from their problems. This is classic avoidance behavior. While standing next to 1,000-year-old building or hiking the great outdoors is cool and all, doing so probably won’t result in epiphany or personal enlightenment. It might—especially if we’ve already journeyed most of the mental way. But the lowly of heart sometimes inject more meaning, power and hope on travel than it’s likely capable of.
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