Who doesn’t love to travel? There’s just something about the lure of adventure, the curiosity about other people and places and, of course, the many wonderfully delightful experiences along the way that have most of us dreaming about a life that allows us to just go – wherever and whenever we want.
The good news is that, not only is travel extremely enjoyable, it’s also good for you – physically, mentally and psychologically.
Following is a list of the top 10 reasons adventure travel should be high on your priority list:
Getting Dirty
According to recent reports by scientists, our human obsession with cleanliness and pristine living conditions could be leading to a rise in allergies, asthma and inflammatory bowel diseases. Being around a certain amount of dirt is good for your immune system and it keeps it strong. Adventure travel = getting dirty. It’s good for you.
Outdoor Activities
Although the fact that the more time we spend outdoors, the better it is for our health, is not by any means a new concept, doctors have actually begun prescribing it to treat all kinds of health problems, from heart disease to ADD and numerous other conditions in between. If you want to prevent the possible onset of most of the maladies you’re afraid of, consider setting out on an adventure.
No Age Limit
When it comes to the great outdoors, the world is your playground. Anyone, young or old, can participate in adventure travel, and enjoy it just the same. There are many things that change for us as we get older, but the pleasure of travel doesn’t have to be one of them.
Grow Your Brain
Ordinarily, once you’re in your mid-50’s, the hippocampus gets smaller, leading to memory loss; but walking or hiking on a regular basis can grow your hippocampus, helping you to retain your memory and stay sharper for longer, and who doesn’t want that?
Coping with Uncertainty
As humans, we naturally want and need to feel in control and, when we don’t, it stresses us out – and we all know how unhealthy stress is for us. Travelling often keeps your tolerance for the unknown and uncertain at a high point, which is much better for you in the long run.
Free Trial
Most of us spend our lives tending to our responsibilities, our families and everything we’ve built around them. Travelling helps knock out the familiarity of our daily routine and gives us a fresh taste of adventure and excitement, leaving us better able to cope with the everyday regularity of our lives, without resentment or thoughts of the different paths we could have taken. When you travel, you can be whoever you want to be.
Time to Reflect
As humans, we often get very caught up in the present and don’t have a lot of time to reflect, whether on the past or future. But reflection is good for you, and the wonderful memories we create through travel can continue to bring us pleasure for many years to come.
Build Confidence
When you dream of going somewhere, getting there brings you a huge sense of fulfilment and purpose. A dream coming true means that your other dreams become possibilities as well, which builds your confidence in yourself and in your future.
Bring Adventure Back
It’s no secret that many of the children growing up today don’t have the same dreams of adventure that those who are adults now did when they were growing up. This is because they spend most of their time indoors instead of outdoors, chasing rainbows, sunlight and adventure; their imagination taking them to faraway places. It’s time to bring adventure back, and travel is the perfect way to do it.
Save the World
Science warns us that in as short a time as the next 9 years, global warming will become irreversible, triggering huge climate change and all the problems that will come with it. People – and a lot of them – will need to step up and change the environmental habits that are harming the world we live in. Who better to do it than the adventure traveller, who has been to so many places and seen it all? Travel today; save the world tomorrow.
In the wise words of Pink Floyd:
“For long you live
And high you fly
And smiles you’ll give
And tears you’ll cry
And all you touch
And all you see
Is all your life
Will ever be”
Make that life a magnificent one.
