1. Nothing beats seeing things for yourself
“Seeing new places, new faces, hearing new sounds, wakes me up, makes me feel alive, makes me realize how quickly we forget that there’s a great big world out there waiting to be explored, that there’s more than our own small space, that beyond the blue horizon lie excitement, freshness, discovery, new people, new languages, new cultures – the unknown.”
- Lauren Bacall
They say that a picture paints a thousand words and that reading can take you places. While we don’t discount the power of imagination, it simply cannot compare to being physically present and experiencing a destination for yourself. Not only will you be able to engage all your 5 senses, but you will also gain a different level of appreciation for it.
#TravelGoal visit the beautiful isaland of Santorini, Greece
#TravelGoal enjoy the great outdoors at the Isle of Skype, Scotland
Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/5254337650
We can go on and on about the rolling hills of Scotland or the stunning coastlines of the Mediterranean, but nothing beats actually feeling the warm sun kiss your skin, the wind blowing through your hair, and taking in the sight of the blue waters crashing against the shore with the faint smell of the ocean lingering in the air. Then, these pictures you saw and articles you’ve read about a place become more than just a photo on a computer screen or words on a page, but they come to life through your experiences and give you moments to remember (and talk about) for a lifetime.
2. Traveling can make you believe in magic
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous
If the intricately crafted Machu Picchu (the Incan citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru) or the impressive thousand year old rock art of Nourlangie Rock doesn’t fill you with a sense of awe and wonder then we don’t know what will! It might even inspire you to immortalize your experience by writing a best-selling novel or three.
#TravelGoal – Travel through Switzerland and write a short story
Image Credits: By chensiyuan (chensiyuan) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where do you think the inspiration for some of the greatest works of fiction came from?
For instance, did you know that Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien’s journey through Switzerland inspired some of the landscapes for his amazing fictional realms? The idea of the Misty Mountains was possibly fashioned from the breathtaking Swiss Alps. Meanwhile Lauterbrunnen Valley with its 72 thundering waterfalls, secluded valleys, and colorful alpine meadows gave life to the awe-inspiring Rivendell, home of the elves. Narnia’s landscape on the other hand drew heavily from C.S. Lewis’ beautiful hometown of Northern Ireland, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany inspired Disney’s very own Sleeping Beauty castle.
#TravelGoal – Go someplace you haven’t been to before
Image Credit (last photo): By The original uploader was Yesuitus2001 at German Wikipedia (Transferred from de.wikipedia to Commons.) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
3. You are able to tell your own stories
“No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.” – Chuck Thompson
Articles, books, blog entries, these are all delivered in the point of view of the author, much like history is written by the winners. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (we are entitled to our own opinions after all) another great thing about actually being in a place is that it allows you to form your own opinions and decide for yourself.
#TravelGoal – Search for the Northern Lights in Iceland
Image Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/9997912316
4. Take every opportunity you can to see the world while you can
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
This is probably the most cliché thing you can read in an article like this, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Many of us put off traveling now because they are busy or they are waiting for that ever elusive “right time.” But really, what better time is there to travel than now? Now that you are still able to climb those mountains, eat all that sumptuously sinful food, and walk for hours on end.
#TravelGoal – Enjoy the beautiful scenery that Iceland has to offer
Image Credit: By Anjali Kiggal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
These examples are certainly not requirements to enjoy a trip, but they definitely will contribute to the individual and different experiences you can have while traveling. And if god forbid anything happens before you’ve lived a quarter of a century, at least you can say that you’ve tried your best to experience every gorgeous inch that this beautiful planet has to offer.
Go on now, go ahead and live a life with no regrets.
