How To Get Excited About Travel Again - 4 Easy Ways

Do you feel the need to travel? Is travel in your future plans?

Whether it’s an all-inclusive tropical getaway with the sun, summer drinks and Jùjú music or an off-the-grid escape or road trip from the busy city noises, if it means being away and free from all the everyday worries, you’ll take it at the drop of a hat.

Then again, for some, the idea of travel brings to their mind an unending loop of adversity – all the restrictions, extra measures, backups, precautions, safety trips, even the hassle of finding a plane, or worse, returning home. These uncertainties bring us back to the pensive ‘Is it really time to travel?’. And we reply to that with a thunderous ‘YES’!

Science has shown us that even the idea of going on a trip can reduce stress and increase dopamine levels in you. No arguments there! The thought of sunny days, calmer waves, exploring new locales, and tasty fares, unquestionably brings an enormous amount of happiness.

Picturing yourself at the famous Brazilian Carnival, among the cherry blossoms of Japan, or, on one of the iconic Sydney Harbour lunch cruises – dreaming about what’s to unfold, will take you on cloud nine pronto!

But how do we manifest the true excitement for travel? Here are a couple of try-outs.

THE LIST

If you’re like me or, more accurately, like the rest of us, you have probably said ‘I wanna go there’ while looking at new destinations through your phone or a mag. And then continue to daydream about actually going there.

For me, the list gets bigger almost everyday and there’s no stopping it. But the bright side to it, is that I actually tick off some of them, even if it takes a gazillion years. I think the first step to getting excited about travel is to write down your bucket list of destinations. By doing so, you’re actually one step closer to planning, researching, and most importantly, travelling!

RELIVING/REVISITING

Some might argue that the best part about travel is discovering new places, meeting new people, and exploring fresh cultures. While the basic idea behind any travel is the general unknownness, it is undeniable that travel creates lasting memories. It is these memories that take us back to a place and relive those moments – some shared with others, some strictly own your own.

With the ever-increasing pace of evolution of technology and AI at our fingertips, it has never been easier to look back at old photos or travel journals. This can trigger fond memories and inspire a new trip, maybe even the same destination again, but to try out new experiences and areas that you missed last time.

LEARNING NEW SKILLS

Believe it or not, learning new skills will take your travel experiences to a whole new level. Like I said earlier, with the impressive advancement of technology, you can learn a new skill or language in the blink of an eye. Imagine sitting in a chic French bistro and ordering ‘un café’ or crème brûlée, en langue française! What about the vineyard in Italian, where you’re chilling with a glass of red, whispering sweet nothing to the gorgeous cameriera?!

Or, how about perfecting your camera skills to capture the ultimate postcard view of the Opera House from one of the best lunch cruises in Sydney?

SUPPORTING LOCAL COMM

Ain’t no better feeling than giving back! There are still countries recovering from the pandemic and other environmental catastrophes, especially where tourism is the primary source of revenue.

It is important to remember the less fortunate communities in need of support and do your best to support them. This can be in many ways like visiting during non-peak season, supporting local groups and organisations, helping out non-profit companies, buying from native producers and markets.