Often there are negative costs in traveling, like jet lag or becoming irregular but don’t let that stop you as the major benefits way outweigh those minor issues.
“See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees, ask for no security.” Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
What happens to you when you start traveling the world?
- Nothing will knock you down faster than jet lag. As a rule of thumb each time you cross a time zone and lose or gain an hour it will take a full day for your body’s natural rhythms to adjust. For tips on beating jet lag click HERE.
- Your diet changes. The first area of short time concern is your eating habits change. This is a common cause of irregularity and the best course of action is to try and stay on a somewhat normal schedule, especially if you’re jumping multiple time zones. Take a few days to adjust to local time. It’s also a good idea to indulge in the local foods in moderation until you get acclimated to the new schedule.
- Your exercise schedule will probably change too. Today most hotels, resorts and cruise ships have gyms and with a little effort you can adapt your exercise routine to their facilities. Also most people traveling do an amazing amount of walking while sightseeing. If that is the case realize that you can overdo and end up having to slow down.
- Changes in latitudes causes changes in attitudes. Travel gives you a new perspective on almost everything. With things you previously didn’t understand or appreciate you now begin to see in a whole new light. Not only do you relax more but you also better appreciate the similarities and differences between your culture and others.
- Flying contributes to fatigue and headaches. Changes in air pressure in an airplane as well is traveling to high altitudes deprives your body of its normal oxygen levels and it takes time for your system to figure out how to adapt. That reduction in oxygen can cause you to get winded quickly and can also cause fatigue. While recovering from a flight can be quick, staying at high elevations can require a week or more for things to begin to feel “normal”.
“To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen
Travel is great way to stimulate your mind.
Even with the issues involved, traveling helps most people calm down and feel less anxious. Talk to seasoned travelers and you will usually find they are more open and ready to accept things as they come. New adventures are fun and exciting, causing you to take notice of absolutely everything around you. The feeling can be like you’ve been asleep and now you’re awake. In addition your brain gets more alert and seems to work faster especially when you’re involved in dealing with another language. Not sure you believe this, there are numerous studies to support these assertions.
“…I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.” ― Anthony Bourdain
Travel breaks up normal routines and offers new experiences to engage your thinking. This improves memory and helps with the problem solving processes. You have to figure out how to get around new cities, how to use new modes of transportation, deal with new languages and understand alien customs. At first, changes can be frustrating, but eventually, your brain benefits from being more engaged. This leads to increased awareness and improved creativity that lasts long after the travel is over.
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