“Travel is the ONLY thing you buy that makes you richer!”

– Unknown

Hey! My name is Brie and I’ve been traveling for as long as I can remember. I was fortunate to grow up in a household where both of my parents worked for the airline industry – coming from opposite coasts themselves. Visiting either set of grandparents always seemed like the longest of vacations. Summers in California, Christmas in DC. Back then, the jets were HUGE … or I was really small … either way, there was something grand about sitting in the center seat of a Boeing – 747, being handed a hot, lemon-scented hand towel, after eating peanuts AND cookies. By the time I was 12, I was thumbing through the in-flight magazine ‘sky-shopping’ on my own.

That was a life-time ago. Now, there’s nothing satisfying about sitting in a center seat. That is a for sure sign that you have failed somewhere in your adult life. Airlines have become more proficient in providing you with the bare minimum in services lately -but don’t let that deter you from planning your bucket list trip and end up in #wanderlust.

Traveling, especially traveling abroad has some of the most life-changing benefits. Gone are the days where excuses like ‘I don’t have time’ are plausible. Traveling changes you physically, mentally and emotionally. Below are the top seven ways traveling changes you for the better:

It gets you outside of your bubble and into the real world – Traveling forces you to put down what you are doing (work, kids, school) and take a break. You DESERVE time to yourself (YES without the family) to relax, relate and release, however that looks for you. Do it … often!!! Everyone around you will thank you for it.

It challenges you – Traveling challenges you to solve problems; like on the fly. Passport lost … contact the US Embassy or even better, keep Dropbox scanned copies in your email. It may not get you on the next flight, but it’s better than that emotional brain fart most of us get when highly distressed.

It teaches you gratitude – OMG!!! I can’t tell you how disturbed I was to see how people lived in certain parts of the world. Traveling abroad will allow you to meet people who have much less than you, but willing to give what they have. That my friend, is the blessing of hospitality.

It lowers your stress level – according to one study https://www.verywellmind.com/take-vacations-for-stress-relief-overall-health-3145274 ‘a four day weekend had a positive effect on well-being, recovery, strain and perceived stress for as long as 45-day.’ Use those Federal holidays to your advantage.

It causes you to invest in YOURSELF – Traveling abroad will take you out of your comfort zone and you will have to ask someone for directions or to explain the menu to you (improving social and communication skills). Take advantage of the situation and learn phrases that will be of use regularly. “Donde esta el bano?” usually comes after several of “una mas cerveza por favor.” Google Translator is your friend!

It makes you happy – Whoever said money can’t buy happiness did not know where to find RT tickets for two, for $228 (total) on #SpiritAirline the week before Christmas. I am still doing the happy dance. Those flights were priced at $790 elsewhere. I almost considered driving 14-hours to beat that price. Thank goodness for small favors.

But most importantly, you build memories – Seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza, the last of the ancient Seven Wonders for the first time is awe inspiring. I saw them for the first time at the age of 13, but to be able to share that history, and experience with my 6 year old … will be a memory he shares with his children and grandchildren.

FINAL THOUGHTS – WOW!!!! That was a lot for my first blog!!! I’m pleasantly surprised at how easy this was. I hope you found this article helpful and it encourages you to travel more. As you start to see the world, you will start to realize how differently it is portrayed on the boob tube. Before I sign off, I want to leave you with one final thought …

‘There is no foreign land. It is the traveler only who is foreign’

Robert Louis Stevenson