Reasons To Travel – As If I Need One – Blame It On Wanderlust

“Wanderlust: n. a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world”.   I am consumed with wanderlust on most days. Do you dream of places unseen, cultures not experienced, food not tasted? I do! Even with a trip literally a few days away I tell my man, Dan about the next place I want to travel to. He laughs! But he too, suffers from wanderlust.

There are countless reasons why travel is significant to our lives.  Travel ignites the spark for happiness in all of us.  Pleasure travel that is – I can’t speak of business travel on a consistent schedule as I’ve not experienced it.  From what I hear and read it induces more stress than happiness. So, traveling for pleasure, first of all gives us a break from our normal routines which can be monotonous, dull and uninspiring.  Travel expands our capacity for the diversity our world offers.  Not only geographically speaking, but culturally and economically.

We all know there is great big world out there filled with the unknown.  Stepping into that unknown world causes us to gain self-confidence and appreciate family, friends and home more.  When traveling the unexpected is sure to happen from time to time.  Learning to deal with these situations is a great confidence builder and triggers our creativity to solve the issue.

This one is one of my favorites – a detox from social media!   Social media can be good and bad – did you know it is healthy for us to take a break from it occasionally? It is so easy to tune out what is going on around you when you’re constantly checking your Twitter feed, reading emails, or checking FB and Instagram.  STOP IT!  Our upcoming trip is to a country where Wi-Fi is not prevalent and I am so good with that.  We will be able to find hot spots at times but I doubt we will be seeking them out.  I suspect we will use our phones for some photo opportunities. As far as being off of SM for several days  – I couldn’t be happier and I predict I won’t miss anything that I can’t live without knowing or seeing!

I always feel like I return home with an education after a trip.  Whether it’s learning a new language, taking a cooking class from a local, or discovering the history of a place, travel presents ways in which we can further our knowledge.  Learning new things makes our brains more active, which psychologists have found causes more happiness.

Traveling with your significant other offers opportunity to spend quality one on one time. You should not dread this! Bonding through the good times creates feelings of security in a relationship. Keeping this same thought, working your way through a difficult situation together while traveling instills “couple confidence”.

Finding some “me time” is another bonus of travel.  We are often hard pressed to single out a few minutes to just “be” in our day to day lives.  Taking a moment to reflect while taking in the sound of waves crashing, breathing in the fragrance of pine on a mountain top, people watching from a sidewalk cafe.  Travel offers the occasion to simply “be” in the moment, restful and stress free.  It may satiate that feeling of wanderlust for the moment.

Food! This of course, is my absolute favorite part of traveling. Apple Pie in Amsterdam, poutine in Quebec City, briny oysters on the California coast or blueberry pancakes in Maine. They all taste better in their home country, state or region.  Eating food from the local area expands your palate and exposes you to food you may not be able to get at home.

I’m looking forward to experiencing all these good things when my man, Dan and I travel to Cuba soon.  This trip includes taking a break from SM and The Orange Bee.  I will share our travel experiences from Cuba with you when I am back. When I return I’ll also divulge the venue for Community Table 2019 and reveal who our executive chef is this year.

Meantime – adios, y tenga un buen dia.