The sounds of bongs and announcements, the smell of children who have been overly covered in sunblock and the hustle and bustle of all types of people rushing to catch flights either for business or pleasure, aah the joys of travel.
It may sound like a scene from a movie and for some people who travel for work this has become the norm, I am not one of those people, unfortunately, so for me, travel is a planned and saved for event. I am happy with this, as I don’t think I’m cut out for the constant stress and flight planning that comes with trying to arrive somewhere in a new part of the world.
So what do we know as travel?
The technical explanation which you can learn about here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel is all facts and details, but for me, it’s more about having a culture shock and being enveloped in new flavors and traditions. I love experiencing new cultures, learning new ways of life and being immersed in all things that portray that country or region.
For my husband, although he does enjoy going on a new journey and adventure, his idea of travel is arriving at a destination and lounging at the hotel pool. Well, I could have booked you in at home and gone on my own is it not? So, I drag him to new places and venues and once there he is always grateful, so why not start with the gratitude am I right?
Long haul flights are always tricky when you first do them, you’re concerned about the hours, the legroom and the varicose veins you’ll ger from being in the same position for the past 12 hours.
So being prepared is the key to making it as stress-free as possible. For some handy tips from the professionals, check out the ‘how to prepare for a long haul flight’ guide and start your new adventures on a high. Literally.
There is nothing more reassuring than having procedures in place and all things in position when you head off into the horizon, ok maybe not the sun but certainly through those check-in gates.
5 Benefits of travel.
- Confidence. You may not think this is a factor, but when you’re stuck waiting for the local bus or at a bar waiting for your friends to arrive, you get chatting. The locals enjoy the new faces and accents and are always keen to try their hand at their broken English. So fun. You increase conversations and thus building all-round confidence, so next time you will be the one initiating the conversation.
- Health. My friend went high in the mountains to a retreat where she did ‘sauna-yoga’ with the local Buddhism practicing community. She loved it. She mentioned how indescribable she felt and the aura with them was unforgettable.
If this is sounding like an adventure you’re about to embark on, be sure to have the right equipment with you. They probably have their versions of mats and blocks. But we like to have our personal items for comfort correct? For easy to pack and take with essentials, read this blog on yoga mat reviews and see which is best suited to your travel plans and journey.
- Life Experience. Meeting and engagingwith different societies and cultures is an education you can never receive in the traditional schooling systems, and thank goodness we have an opportunity to still do so. Take it all in is all I can say.
- Fun. This is a great time to let your hair down, do things you wouldn’t normally do and try things without caring what people think. We are all a big kid at heart anyway.
- Know yourself. While out and about you may end up finding yourself in unfamiliar territory or situations, how you handle them will be a big indication to not only yourself but show your family you are there for them no matter what. You can handle your business, you go girl!
There are blogs, vlogs and essential lists of reasons as to why we should or shouldn’t travel, some of which you can brush up on in this list and others I highly recommend finding out through experience, mistakes (yes these are important too) and life lessons. They may be hard but they will make you stronger and mold you into the person you were always meant to be.
A few pointers when it comes to traveling safely.
You will be excited, you will be raring to go, but what you must not be is naïve. The place you are traveling to whether in a group or as a family might be unfamiliar if you’re the adventurers like we are, but this means that research and homework are vital in keeping everyone safe and in one piece by the end of the trip.
When you arrive you want to ‘do as the Romans’ as they like to say, blend in, become one of the crowd. This will stop you from being easy pickpocket targets and ensure you don’t flash your wealth for prying eyes.
As you go around the sights be wary of people standing nearby or being wherever you are most of the time. Hold onto bags and belongings while in transports and keep items close to your body.
Emergency contacts are the one thing I ensure my kids have on them when we go anywhere. We went to a theme park with them and my friends laughed when they saw the kids had waterproof temporary tattoos on their arms of our phone numbers. But it gave us and them peace of mind in case something were to happen, so laugh all you want people.
You know how the old saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure.’
The last thing to have in place is insurance. You may need hospital care or flights are canceled, these can be covered by having cover in place.
It may sound like a lot to take in, and it is, but when these practices become the norm you’ll thank yourself later on.
May your travels be safe, fun and fabulous.
