A lot of people mistake happiness for the euphoria that comes when they buy the latest Apple phone, or when they buy a new house, the latest cars; the list continues. Have you ever wondered why the excitement and the happiness you get from these things wear off quickly? I guess they don’t give true happiness now, do they?
Travelling can give you that authentic and lasting happiness that you seek. For instance, the first time I googled the best restaurants near Las Olas Boulevard, I was overwhelmed. Get this right, and I wasn’t in Boulevard yet; I just Google a list of the best restaurants and hotels. The pictures and the feeling of joy I got from it were double what I get when I buy a new smartphone. What about how happy I felt when I finally chose to go to Boulevard and visit one of those crystalline hotels? You should visit there sometime, that’s the only way you will understand what I felt.
Everybody wants happiness, and most of us feel that it can be gotten through material things. On the contrary, do you know that experience gives more joy than materialism? Research carried out at Cornell University showed that the money spent on “doing” brings more happiness than the money spent on “having.” So basically, the reason for our unhappiness lies in man’s ability to become accustomed to doing new things in life.
This is what traveling does; it takes us outside the box of what we are familiar with and also helps us out of our mundanely natural way of life. In return, it makes us experience life from another perspective that also spikes our level of maturity. One of the amazing things about traveling is that the happiness that comes from it stays for a lifetime, whereas the euphoria from buying things wears off over a while.
So to say, travel is the only thing you buy that will make you truly happy.
Reasons why traveling is a way of reaching true happiness:
Strengthens relationships (or helps build new ones): when you travel with your friends, your spouse, or loved one, it unveils opportunities to connect. It enables you to see the beautiful sides of your friends or family. In the case of building new relationships, traveling creates a platform where you can meet new people from different spheres of life. And according to research, human beings tend to connect with people outside their comfort zone quickly.
Learning new things: traveling exposes us to different cultures and people. It tests our mental ability to adapt to new surroundings, and this, in turn, complements our value. Finally, as we travel, we appreciate the very nature of our existence, the richness in our diversity, and the beauty that the world holds.
Lasting memories: You probably might not remember with a smile, the exotic wears you had years back, the smartphones you used seven years ago or the name of the expensive perfume you wore years back, as do I. But I certainly can remember the trip I made to the Caribbeans a decade back. That’s what traveling does. It makes a lifetime impact on a person, and when you look back in reminisce, you chuckle in happiness.
Self-realization: if there anything that I have learned in my days of travel, it is that traveling helps in self-realization. Meeting new people and cultures helps you to understand yourself more, the limits you can push, and the horizon you can approach. You self discover your likes and dislikes which invariably imbues in you, self-value.
Travel Experiences Make Good Stories: I remember when I was on a road trip, I met an artist who was traveling on a nearby seat in a bus and believe it or not, he saw something special in my appearance and quickly portrayed me right in the bus. It was so unusual and pleasant that I keep telling this story years later.
Even now, as you read this article, it is not too late, pick yourself up and make a travel plan. You can tell me your stories when you get back.
