I am astonished by the number of people I meet who “save” travel for their retirement years. I am big believer that we should travel now, and not wait. Here are a few reasons why!
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us. Accidents, illness and changes to life circumstances can happen at any age. Additionally, with age you will likely have less mobility which could restrict your activities and destinations.
Travel improves both physical and mental health. However, as a contrast to my first point, travel can actually improve both your physical and mental health which may help reduce stress, delay illness, and improve mobility. It will improve your quality of life both now and later. Below are some links to articles that link to research about the benefits of travel.
7 Benefits of Traveling for Your Health & The Earth | BrainMD
5 Ways Travel Is Good for Your Health, According to Experts (travelandleisure.com)
Why Traveling Is Good For Your Health (forbes.com)
Travel Will Build Memories and Strengthen Relationships. One of the often-sighted reasons to not travel is because people are too busy, or they have kids. However, travel is one of the best ways to build memories and strengthen relationships (of all kinds). It will get you out of the daily routine of talking about dishes and laundry. Additionally, novelty helps time slow down and standout.
Why time speeds up as you age – David R Hamilton PHD (drdavidhamilton.com)
Get to see locations and cultures change over time. If you don’t start traveling until later in life, you will have a very static and narrow view of a location and culture. I was fortunate to start traveling at a very young age. Because of this, I have gotten to see places and cultures evolve. As an example, I visited Hungry for the first time in 1990 right after independence and the end of the cold war. I’ve been fortunate to return to Budapest three times in the last thirty years and have seen the (good and bad) changes over the decades.
Get to see yourself evolve. Likewise, you can see yourself evolve over time. I love cities like Paris, New York City and London. And by visiting frequently over the years, I’ve gotten to experience the City in different stages of life. Paris is very different at 7, 16, 18, 30, 45, and 48.
Geopolitics can change on a dime. You never know what the world will be like in a few years or even a few months. Despite living in Europe for over 12 years, I never visited Ukraine. I finally had plans to visit Ukraine in the Spring of 2014; however, because of the unrest I postponed my trip. Now more than a decade later, I still have been unable to travel to Ukraine.
Learn more about yourself and the world. Travel helps you learn more about yourself and the world. You will learn what is important to you. It will increase your emotional intelligence by understanding other cultures and views that differ from your own. You will be more informed when you watch the news and read the newspaper.
Traveling can support your other life goals. As an example, staying healthy is important to me. But like most of us, I struggle to find the time and to make it a priority. By planning active trips, it helps me prioritize working out. If I know I have a 5-day hiking trip in Chile planned, I have extra incentive to make it to the gym. I think learning a language is another good example.
Life is too unpredictable. If traveling isn’t for you – that is fine. But if it is something you enjoy, then don’t “save” it for later. Go now!!
Life Kinetic Travel Research 