WHY IS TRAVEL SO IMPORTANT?

It’s a question that I run into a few times as I discuss my role. Why exactly is travel so important? Why should I spend the time to do it? Why should I spend the money to do it?

IT’S TIME TO CHECK IN!

& Answer This Question!

It makes us happy – I remember my first time traveling. I must have been six years old. My mother worked for Trans World Airlines, or as you might know them, TWA. The iconic red and white airline that was a beacon for the travel industry right along with Panam in their blue and white. My mother told myself and two of my sisters that we were going on a trip. We had passports, packed our tiny little suitcases, and joined my mother and a family friend to the airport. I remember at the time that Saint Louis was an international airport and I saw flags for Mexico and Canada as we arrived in our terminal. My mother pointed to the red and white Canada flag and said we were headed to Toronto. We enjoyed walking on the glass floor of the CN Tower, being in a hotel underneath the Blue Jays Baseball stadium, and experiencing planes with my family. I still recall that memory, and I am sure you have one too. It is a memory that makes me feel one thing, happy. Did you notice the TWA luggage tag on my suitcase? Studies have shown that people feel 97% happier by having a trip on their calendar! Do you have one on yours?

It improves our mental well being – We are often told to unplug and reduce our stress. We eat right. Go on walks. Exercise. Take breathes, deep breathes. Do Yoga. Go to therapy. And of course we do all of this timely, efficiently, and never have stress again. Right? If you’re like me, that is not the case. I often start with the best intentions, get into a lull, realize the benefit, and then poof it’s off to the races. I realized this about travel very early in my career. Each time I had a trip planned, it was the happiest I could be! I remember booking my road trip to New Zealand. It was black friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and so many companies were doing travel sales. This was back when I was constantly on the look out for a good deal. I found a round trip New Zealand flight for just $400 dollars for a week in September. The anxiety that I felt hitting the “Book Now” button, and the release I felt when I had completed it. Like night and day! I couldn’t stop talking about it before, during, and well after my trip. It changed me as a person for the better. Travel is shown to reduce cortisol, the hormone of “stress”, and increase your endorphins. We feel that we have “completed” or “finished” a very important task when we overcome the challenges of travel. All the better for us high achievers out there.

It makes us smarter – Similar to the above, booking the trip is one thing. Completing it is another. As we travel we encounter people of many places and cultures, with new and exciting findings as we converse with them. We learn about their way of life and what they do for fun! Have they heard of football? Why do they drive on the other side of the road? Could you define how “spicy” your “spicy is please? There are a million questions we ask and a million answers we get back. It gets us “out” of our routine and forces us to make decisions and make conversation. It boosts our neuroplasticity. It also improves our cognitive flexibility by having us explore new cultures that are not in our “norm”. We become more creative as a person because of it.

It gives us a key virtue, empathy – If you watch any movie from the past, you may believe countries to be hectic, wild, untamed, and vastly different to our own. In fact Hollywood has a history of showcasing countries with different color hues, such as orange or yellow for Africa, India and Mexico to make it appear more hot, or blue and grey for Europe to showcase the weather. As a frequent traveler, we share more with people from other countries than one might expect. I’ve seen cities that compare just as much to the cities of America. I have tasted food home cooked that I would happily bring to any potluck I am invited to. I have danced and sang to songs that if I were to hear them again in the USA, would evoke memories I would enjoy so much. In surveys sent to business travelers, 87% believe that travel increases empathy and forces us to adapt to environments where we are now considered the outsiders. By stepping foot into the shoes of others, we truly understand them.

IT’S TIME TO CHECK IN!

The answer is that travel makes us smarter, improves our mental well being, gives us the virtue of empathy brings happiness. We hope you enjoy the benefits of travel on your next trip and the many more to come!