The Art of Travel: Why It's More Than Just "The Happiest Pursuit"

You don’t need a reason to travel—traveling is its own reason.

It’s like the happiest pursuit, the most selfless act, and the most rewarding adventure.

It’s the best way to escape the mundane, the best way to reconnect with friends, the best way to learn, the best way to teach. It’s messy, it’s stressful, it’s beautiful.

And it’s worth it.

Why to travel?

Because travel is a gift of life. Travel is a nameless, faceless stranger, who wants to share the world with you. Traveling is the antidote to loneliness, the antidote to fear, the antidote to comfort. Travel is connection to everything else, at every turn, in every journey. And it gives you a reason to live. John Steinbeck said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Travel is a catalyst for compassion and generosity, for learning to appreciate your own life, and for breaking down barriers and complacency. It can take you to places you never thought you would go, to meet people you never thought you would meet, to do things you never thought you would do. And it will change your life forever.

The Art of Travel

When was the last time you hiked through a jungly rainforest ? That time was back in high school. Or maybe you went on a hike with your parents as a picnic . Or maybe you climbed one of the highest peaks in America—maybe the highest peak in the country. But why, when the world is so much bigger and more amazing than ever before, are we still stuck with our same old travel destinations? It’s because we don’t really have a reason. Plenty of people go on lots of “adventures” every year, but why do we choose to go? Mostly it’s because we think we have to, because it’s the thing to do. But there are lot of tourist places around the world with unique features.

The Perks : Travel as a Source of Happiness

Like happiness, traveling comes with a whole slew of benefits that are far beyond the surface. You’ll find a bit more of what makes you happy in the infographic below—but you’ll be surprised by just how much there is to love about the travel lifestyle: The Expanded Experiences People are more likely to travel for an experience than a destination. The Possibilities We Can Explore , The world is full of endless wonder—and there’s no end to the places we can explore. The Relaxation We Gain ,The more we travel, the more we realize how tense we’ve become, so the closer we get to "vacation mode."

The Travel as a Source of Stress

It it really a vacation if you’re stressed out the whole time? No. You’re trying to balance your time between an endless amount of “to do’s,” trying to fit in so many things that you don’t get to relax, and constantly checking your phone to see what’s happening back home. When we get excited about something, we tend to forget about the details. We’re in this sort of happy-go-lucky high that keeps us distracted—and suddenly, we realize we’re late to get lunch with a friend. It’s not an ideal scenario. It’s not that I think traveling should be all about the perfect vacation. I’m all for balance. But what I’m about to tell you isn’t about balancing one thing and another. This is about the balance of travel and stress. Sure, it’s not fun to be busy the entire time you’re on vacation.

The Rewards of Travel

There’s no perfect system to figure out how to travel for pleasure. I tried. I tried with lists, I tried with The Bucket List, I tried with credit card spending, and I tried with net-savvy savings. But, like the cheapest flight to a weekend trip, I realized I could get what I want with the least effort and earn the most benefits for my money. Where you go, when you go, and how you get there should be solely determined by the goal of traveling for pleasure. When we talk about a book being a “tourist” book, we’re talking about it being a book that shows you where the author has been and where the book wants you to go. You can find out where the author has been and where he wants you to go—just by reading the book. We’re all creators. We enjoy the reality only if we travel and explore the world around us.

Conclusion

All of the reasons why you should travel in this life. In closing, I would just like to leave you with this. This life is not meant to be lived in a cubicle or at a desk. It’s meant to be lived out. This is the essence of the travel movement. The best experiences happen when you’re not attached to a phone, a computer, or a week-long trip to the mountains. They happen when you live your life and live in the moment. You’re here for a reason. Go explore the beautiful world around you . The nature is full of wonders .