Why we crave to travel?

Benefits of travel

Travel experiences are the best possessions than any materialistic possession in our life. It provides memories and many stories to share. We got an opportunity to test ourselves through challenging situations we faces during our travels. It helps to boost our confidence and self-dependency. Travels including adventure activities like hiking and trekking help to check our endurance levels. We can check our performance levels by setting goals with time limits. It boosts the goal achievement quality within us. The travel benefits are endless and several studies have supported this.

Scientific Reasons behind our Good Health by Traveling

The scientific reason to crave for traveling lies in our gut itself. Travel brings us to different environments, which induce the production of antibodies that ultimately boost our immunity.

Travel is a great contributor to our good health. It is a good brain tonic that acts as a stress buster and also improves our cognitive skills. Travel is good for our heart too. Some places have healing properties in their surrounding air and water that helps our body to rejuvenate.

Ultimately, it contributes to our health. We would likely live a long and healthy life if travel frequently to different places.

Let’s know what other travelers across the globe have to say about their craving for traveling around the world. What are their good reasons to travel? Let’s find out in their words… 🙂

Keep life in perspective

The reason I travel is because it helps me keep life in perspective.  When things get stressful or crazy, travel acts a reset button.  It calms me and helps me see a bigger picture. 

After my grandfather passed, I traveled to Italy where he was stationed during his time in the army.  I felt more connected to him during my travels and when I returned home realized that we had taken many of the same photographs of the same places. 

That experience made me realize something.  While people may come and go, the world is in many ways a constant.  It’s there for us to explore so that we may inherit some of its wisdom. 

When you travel, it almost demands self-reflection, and in return you grow as a person.  You learn what you truly value, what is important in life, and travel and the places you visit can bring you together with people from the past as well as the present.

To travel is to grow, gain a new perspective on life, and make connections with the world and the people who have lived in it.

Opportunity to unwind

Travelling is an amazing opportunity to unwind from everyday life and take care of ourselves. It allows us to forget about daily problems and enjoy just the moment. Sometimes travel plans can also be very overwhelming which is why slow traveling is equally important. Therefore, relaxing at the beach in the Yucatan Peninsula or watching sunsets in Greece are great ways to enjoy simple things during travels.
Even a short trip away from home helps with our well-being. That’s why so many travelers prioritize relaxation which is one of the main reasons for traveling across the globe. It is vitally essential to switch off, especially with our busy and stressful lifestyles.

Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites

I’m on a mission to visit every UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world – or as many as possible! (After all, one of the islands is known as Inaccessible Island…)

This focus has guided my travels for over five years. There’s currently 1154 World Heritage Sites located across 167 countries, meaning that this journey will eventually take me to most countries in the world.

But instead of cursory visits to many countries, most of my visits go deeper. Many countries contain dozens of sites, spread right across the country. Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a country provides an in-depth look at a country, touching upon their most important historical and cultural monuments, plus many sites of great natural beauty. 

At this stage I’ve visited just over half of the current list of sites (581 sites out of 1154), with more added each year during an annual convention. It’s going to inspire me to travel for many more years!

Memories are worth more than things

Travel is in my genes. Since I can remember, the different places in the World, their people, and their cultures have fascinated me. I find great satisfaction in experiencing different Countries and unknown places. Moreover, getting to know the locals and learning about their culture, traditions, and way of doing things gives me great pleasure.

Despite this, looking at pictures and reading about these places wasn’t enough; I had the urge to experience them myself. And since I started travelling, I couldn’t stop. The excitement of travelling the globe consumes my mind, and I find my mind constantly wandering and escaping the now.

Moreover, by travelling to a Country, I not only get to know their culture and traditions but also how they live, where they hang out, and what they like to eat. Besides that, I met many people from all parts of the World, made new friends, and built memories that enriched my life.

All this made me come to realise more and more that memories are worth much more than things. So that is why I travel. 

Explore Biodiversity

Traveling across the globe is an amazing adventure that allows you to get outside your comfort zone, learn new cultures and make friends. 

Travel also provides an amazing opportunity to see the biodiversity of our planet. Whether you are taking a trip to Komodo National Park in Indonesia to see the incredible Komodo dragons and visit the famous pink beach; or road tripping around Baja California where you can see whales, orcas and dolphins, there’s nothing like seeing spectacular wildlife on your trip. 

One of the best ways to see wildlife is by booking tours with local operators who can help you to spot animals in their natural habitat. Always read reviews and make sure that a tour operator adheres to sustainable practices that respect animals and help to protect their habitat. 

Remember that seeing a wild animal is never a guarantee. If a tour promises that, it most likely involves animals in captivity and should be avoided. 

Experience different cultures

Travel can mean something different for anyone, but for me, it’s to experience many of the world’s cultures that are different from what I’ve grown up with. From trying the different foods to understanding the traditions that each culture holds, it’s a new experience that expands my mind and increases my appreciation for others.

I studied abroad in college and was able to learn about the culture of Denmark. I stayed with a host family and learned about the ways that they celebrate birthdays, the foods that they eat for dinner, and the traditions that they hold as a family. It taught me to adapt to new situations, as many of the experiences were different from what I had learned at home.

Interacting with people who grew up differently than I did has allowed me to see life from a different perspective. Travel and becoming a travel blogger has allowed me to diversify my worldview and have given me values that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Travel has connected me to new cultures and people that have changed my life for the better.

Explore our heritage with our son

We are an Irish expat family living in Portugal and there are two main reasons why we travel the world.

The first reason is to explore the world with our son, experiencing new places, cultures, and traditions with him, all while learning along the way. Our son has been travelling since he was four months old, with his first trip being from Wales to Ireland to meet the family.

Since then, he has travelled extensively in Europe, been as far west as Portland in Oregon and Yellowstone National Park in the USA, and as Far East as Thailand. He has clocked up over 75,000 nautical miles over 70 flights and we have learned as a family together.

The second reason we travel is to return regularly to Ireland to introduce him to the island of his heritage and to discover more of the country as a family.

I and my husband are both from Dublin, and while we have travelled to some places in Ireland before kids, we are starting to discover more of our homeland together with our son. We are beginning to visit places in Ireland such as the Rock of Cashel, the beautiful Glendalough, and the Hook Head Lighthouse together, while combining our trips home with seeing family.

Growing up in Portugal and becoming bilingual is a great opportunity for our son but at the same time, we want him to know about Ireland and his Irish heritage. It gives us a chance as a family to explore the far corners of the Emerald Isle and gives us a chance to visit the greatest landmarks in Ireland, see the natural beauty of the country, and to learn about our long history together.

Discover new architectures and stay in unique hotels

When you travel, you have the opportunity to see places that don’t exist at home. This can mean unreal landscapes, different cultures, but also very atypical architectures. Each country, and sometimes city, has its own way of building houses. 

Discovering the different types of architecture around the world is one of the many fabulous aspects of traveling. For example, Mexico has many environmentally friendly resorts with bamboo houses if you want to live in harmony with nature. 

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Greece has picturesque architecture of whitewashed cube houses on top of black cliffs. Some major cities also offer once-in-a-lifetime accommodation experiences. 

In Tokyo, you can stay in capsule hotels, while New York offers rooms on very high floors. Imagine what it would feel like to sleep in the middle of the skyscrapers in the best area to stay in New York for the first time! Pretty mad, right?

Adventure experiences

One of the biggest reasons I travel is for the adventure experiences! There are so many exciting and unique things to try around the world that will get your heart racing and leave you breathless and amazed. 

For example, there is nothing like seeing a volcano erupt, or hiking on a glacier in Iceland. Biking down a volcano in Hawaii, and zip lining through the jungle of Costa Rica were both incredible adventures. But the most adventure experience I’ve ever had, and a memory I’ll treasure forever, was riding a camel to a luxury camp in the Sahara desert. 

An added bonus? Research indicates that having those exciting, adrenaline-rush producing experiences as a couple can actually increase the attraction between the two people!

Try local food

Whose food tastes the best? Grandmas! And why is that? Because Grandmas know the secrets of local ingredients. They know how to prepare it, get the best possible flavour out of the herbs and veggies. Their fruit is always better since it comes from their garden.

And that is why I travel-To taste the local cuisine. To taste how the dishes are supposed to taste like! I have had the best tacos in Mexico, delicious paella in Spain, tried the most amazing sushi in Japan and had the best pasta in Italy.

Local cuisine is the best representation of the culture. You learn through your taste buds. Where food grows, how they prepare it, how they eat it. You meet people along the way, who tell you stories that you might not find out by taking photos of the famous site. Food tasted better for where it’s from. It might be from French desserts in Paris, Italian gelato in Florence or street food in Thailand and Vietnam. Eat local. Eat fresh. Try something new.

Quality family time

While there are many reasons my family and I love to travel, two big reasons stand out:

First and foremost, I’m very aware of how important quality family time is! I lost my mom when I was 18 years old, and I work as a physical therapist in a neurological setting. I’ve seen first-hand how fast life can change, so I want to travel and make memories with my family while I absolutely know I can.

Second, my husband and I loved traveling long before we had kids, and we made a pact to continue to travel as much as possible even after having them. Despite travel looking different now that we have little ones, the fun we have on our trips is worth any extra work that comes along with it.

To be blunt, we don’t really care if they don’t remember the trip since they’re so young. While they may not remember specific vacations, each trip we take is a building block to help them learn about and appreciate this great, big world we live in. Plus, it allows us to have uninterrupted time together as a family, which to me, is priceless.

Practice Mindfulness

I travel to practice mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness means being fully present in the moment and aware of what you are currently sensing and feeling, without worrying about what the future holds. Travel allows a person to leave behind the stress and worry about the future and become fully absorbed in seeing new sights, speaking with different people, learning new cultures, and tasting new foods.

Practicing mindfulness and truly living in the moment allows you to enjoy life to the fullest. Not only does travel push you to practice mindfulness and have a mental break, but it also teaches you how to enjoy the moment so that you can take that back with you to your everyday life. Therefore, travel can be life-changing for your normal life, as it teaches you the invaluable skill of enjoying the present moment.

Amber Hunt getlostinwanderlust.com

Boost in confidence

“The goal is to die with memories, not dreams.”

– This life-changing quote left a deep impression on me since my childhood. Having parents who love traveling exposed me to the world of adventures- trekking, hiking, and camping.

Life gives us challenges at every step. You gain experiences upon overcoming those difficulties and never giving up at any cost. The same thing applies to trekking and hiking. You have to carry on till you reach your goal, and when you do that, you will never forget the surreal feeling in your life.

I still remember my first trek to Sandakphu and the moments after reaching the peak at the height of 11929 ft. When planning the tour, I was skeptical about whether I would be able to complete the trek. But everything changed after it.

When I returned from the trek, I had a massive boost in confidence, stamina, and mental strength. Since then, I go on trekking and hiking every year. Based on my experiences and help from fellow travel experts, I came up with the idea of NatureDiary- my dream travel blog.

Get out of Comfort Zone

Every year, I solo travel around the globe for 9 weeks. Some people think I’m crazy for it, but the truth is that absolutely love it and honestly wish I could travel more. From the feeling of pure happiness while stepping into a foreign place, such as the beautiful Banff National Park, to the adrenaline rush while navigating an unexpected situation — it all motivates me to travel more. And although travel is sometimes scary and uncomfortable, the incredible experiences, people, and connections I make along the journey always make the stress or fear worth it.

Plus, traveling the world is truly life-changing. When we open ourselves up to learn about different people, places, and cultures, we not only grow as an individual but as a whole by bridging the gap toward a more compassionate society. It is for these reasons that I love traveling and hope that more people explore the world and all that it has to offer.

Transformative experience

I travel to understand more about the culture, history, traditions and beauty of other countries. Traveling has been a transformative experience as it has given me the opportunity to grow and learn more about the world.

Working and living in different countries placed me in a unique position to learn a new language, see new places, try new foods, explore new interests and interact with different people. As a native of a small island with approximately 110,000 inhabitants, traveling has provided me with new lens through which I view the world.

Today, I am a better person because I have a deeper measure of gratitude, experienced personal growth and no longer take many things for granted.

Rachel Brathwaite | Grenada

aroundthecaribbean.com

Powerful antidote

I travel because my world can sometimes feel so impossibly, suffocatingly small – but visiting new places is a powerful antidote. When I travel, I remember that no matter how many places I’ve been or people I’ve met, there’s still more to learn. I can continue to grow and understand the world in new ways. 

On each trip, I find myself drawn toward little pieces of history, culture, and language. For example, I was struck by precisely how developed Pompeii was in 79AD. There were restaurants serving foods centuries before tomatoes made their way to Italy and a coliseum with a retractable cover to protect spectators.

This reminds me that my life is only a thread in the expansive tapestry of human history. Meeting people with different backgrounds reminds me that we’re all more alike than we are different. And, most of all, there’s always more to learn.

By Amber | Cork, Ireland

ambereverywhere.com

Learning new things

Travel comes with so many benefits that it can be hard to list them all. But for me, one of those good reasons to travel stands out in particular. And that is to learn something new.

Every country and culture has its peculiarities. These can be traditions, languages, objects, but also habits, dishes, or a specific type of knowledge.

If you travel and come into contact with locals of other cultures, you can learn many such new things.

Learning new things helps to broaden your horizon and to go through the world more with an open mind. But even after you return home, you can put what you have learned to practical use. This could be a new dish you prepare for yourself and your loved ones from now on, like eating a tortilla sandwich like they eat in Spain for breakfast or something along those lines. Or useful tips and habits that you will integrate into your everyday life from now on, which will positively impact your life. The world is big, and there is so much to learn!

Challenging yourself

Getting out of your comfort zone is one of the best reasons to travel, allowing you to experience new things that you might have missed before. It can be scary to travel, especially if you’re going solo as a female traveler or traveling for the first time.

However, each step you take outside of your comfort zone will add so many unforgettable experiences and you’ll find yourself getting addicted to challenging yourself. Being a bit scared is not the worst thing sometimes and you might just be surprised how much fun you can have if you take a leap of faith.

However, of course, traveling is not always fun. Things can go wrong and not every day is a good one. It’s important to trust yourself and know that you can handle all types of challenges which is very important for traveling as well.

Meaningful first-hand experiences

There is so much beauty and adventure in the world and travel allows us to see more of it. Nothing replaces the feelings felt by experiencing a new place first-hand; no movie or book can compare. Instead of only seeing our neighbourhood, city, or country, we can go beyond borders and chase incredible adventures, like watching the sunrise from atop a volcano, exploring beautiful corals underwater while diving, or seeing a Wonder of the World with our own eyes. 

Life is short, and the world is wide, so the best time to travel is now. None of us know what tomorrow brings, so let’s fill it with meaningful experiences and make it an unforgettable journey. Too often, we let destinations pile up on our bucket list and wait to chase our dreams until we retire, but today is the time to live our best life, complete with travel and our passions. Whether you desire to be a weekend warrior, part-time traveller, or fully nomadic, give in to the travel bug and never stop exploring.

Feel freedom

I travel because it is a month each year where I can feel truly free. It’s a time where I get to switch off from work, from deadlines and responsibilities, and spend time relaxing and doing what I want, when I want. I can sleep in if I want, or spend all day at the beach. I can go to bed early with the goal of waking up at midnight to star gaze without worrying about being tired at work the next day.

I love to pick a destination I haven’t been to and search the internet for the best things to do there in the lead up. I keep these things written in a file but I avoid making any strict plans. Instead, I use it as a reference when I arrive to explore as I please.

My job isn’t overly stressful, but it is very structured, hence why I love to have a lot of freedom when traveling. It’s so freeing to wake up in the morning without knowing completely what you’re going to do, or what to expect for the day. 

Escape 9-5 job

I travel to escape the traditional 9-5 job. The life cycle which has been created for us to follow makes my mind go into overdrive. A study from you is a child until your mid-20s and then work a job for 50 years before retiring and “enjoying” a life with freedom. I don’t want to follow this path. Working for 50 years to allow myself to experience life when I am 70+ does not sit right with me.

I want to LIVE life, I am not living life working 8 hours, 5 days a week. So that’s why I travel. I live life how I want to live it, not defined by the constraints of society. I can work when I want, where I want. And I take advantage of that.

Mental Health

Working as a Flight Attendant, travel is my job. But the real reason why I crave travel is for my mental health. It makes me feel at peace, excited, and happy and enables me to focus on the things that really matter. Travel gives my brain a chance to rest from the usual daily stresses and recharge, plus it opens my mind to seeing and experiencing new cultures.

Travel is so good for our mental health: every day is different – I love the adrenaline it brings! We can reinvent ourselves and really evaluate our lives, reflect on who we are and how to become better, and even if we are busy all day sightseeing – our minds are relaxed.

Not only this, but travel helped to make me more patient, more independent, and more resilient. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and has taught me that it’s ok for things to go wrong and that we shouldn’t stress about things we can’t control, which has only made me stronger both emotionally and mentally.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

If you’re like me and have been cursed with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), then you know what it’s like to feel as though you HAVE to visit as many places in the world as you can with the time that you have.

Maybe FOMO isn’t your number one reason for traveling, and it may not be the reason that you tell people why you love to travel, but it is something that gives you a special drive to see the world. It’s probably the reason you are the one that makes all the plans and itineraries, constructs a budget, and is willing to travel solo. You make the trips happen.

When the world has so much excitement and adventure to offer, it is hard not to feel as though you are missing out. Just remember to live in the moment and appreciate your surroundings every now and then as well. Having FOMO can be good or bad, but at the end of the day, it is one of the reasons I travel.

Alex Chapman TwentySomethingTraveler

Mend broken heart

I have travelled for many reasons throughout my life, but the most recent was to help mend my broken heart. Yes, I wasn’t coping well after the recent split from my two-timing partner and instead of falling into drunken despair I decided to pull myself together and do what I know and love best – travel.

I looked at all my options and thought beach holiday! No, probably too many honeymooners. Party Island! No, I’m not ready to dance all night. Tour! Yes, go on a tour and see new places, discover a new culture and hopefully meet nice people. And that is what I did.

I went on a tour through Scandinavia. There was enough sightseeing during the day that I didn’t think of that so-and-so once. And at night, after dinner, I could mingle with my new travel mates or head off to bed. I mingled. At the end of the 3 weeks I was feeling so much better about life, it didn’t mend my broken heart, but it has begun to heal.

Support Vegan & Ethical Businesses

Traveling has become a surprising extension of my activism. I run a vegan travel blog and write about vegan food, entrepreneurs, ethical businesses, and non-profit organizations from around the globe.

There are so many unique businesses out there working to protect the environment, support their communities, and stop cruelty — I wish I could financially support them all. At a minimum, when I travel, I prioritize seeking out these incredible spots so I can shout about their outstanding work from the rooftops. I hope that when others see the photos and stories, they will seek them out, no matter if they are exploring their own backyards or the packed streets of New York City!

The world is filled with way too many companies that only care about making a buck. We need more businesses that care about the state of the world, and traveling is the perfect opportunity to support that good work.

Conclusion

We all travel ultimately to find, to improvise, and to understand ourselves. These global travel experiences have lead us to better understand the basic reasons behind our craving to travel. We found majority of us travel for getting new experiences followed by improving ourselves. Travel also helps us to heal our souls and motivate us to support noble causes.

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