14 October 2013

There are umpteen reasons you could find to not to travel. From budget, weather and maybe a really comfy house. But let's face it, packing your bag and getting out of the house is one of the best things you can gift yourself.


You end up discovering a lot about yourself -  This is probably the most important aspect of travel. As human beings, we learn about ourselves by how we react/interact with our environment. And the first step in making our-self better is self-realization. Once we realize that we have a certain characteristic, we can actually have a chance at changing it or letting it be. Traveling gives  you a chance to come to terms with aspects of your personality that you never even knew existed. Whats more, the exploration of the self  as you journey through life  is quoted by many eastern philosophies as the primary basis for existence.

Welcome workout for your mind – When you are stuck in routines, you engage the autopilot within your mind. Wake up, commute, work, commute, watch tv, sleep. Traveling forces you to break out of this monotony. Suddenly you are faced with new surroundings, new people, new language which you will need to tackle, new paths to navigate and make spontaneous decisions about food and accommodation.  All of this leads to awakening the dormant part of your mind that was sidelined by the auto-piloting part of your mind.

The changing scenery can be hypnotic – There is a strange, hypnotic feeling to watching the changing scenery and feeling the wind across your face. It is like a glowing ember within you that slowly melts away all your anxieties, fears and worries.

Change in perspective – A brilliant quote that captures this perfectly is "Nobody comes back from a journey the way they started it." -- Unknown . Exposing yourself to new cultures will invariably cause a shift in how you view the world. Once you have seen the interaction and division of social classes, it will bring a new found appreciation for what you have. Many people in the world live under the gloom of war, poverty and diseases. A horrible day at work won't look so bad once you have met people toiling under the scorching sun for pittance.


Gorge on exotic food - This one is for the foodies out there. Traveling to a new place comes with the chance to gorge on some exotic food and savor exciting new flavors. And since food  contributes immensely to the culture of a place, this is a great way to understand it better.

If there is one things you would want to take with you on your travel, it should be an open mind.
Don't have any expectation, just take each moment as they come.  Also, if you are planning for a international trip, make sure you browse for international air ticket in multiple website before you book. This will give you the cheapest international air tickets, thereby cutting down considerably on your travel budget.  A good spot to search for cheap international air ticket is any of the aggregator sites like Kayak.com since they collate prices from numerous online portals.

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