Make travel your norm. We all need to take breaks from work and recharge. If you wait for when you have more time or retire, that time may never come. Or maybe you will retire one day, but be physically unable to go to the places you always hoped and planned to. This is part of work/life balance.
When you travel, immerse yourself in local culture and places. Attempt to meet (hopefully interesting) locals to make your travels more fruitful and expand your world. If you do meet good people, try to keep in touch—it makes your daily life richer and fuller.
I was at a family event back East recently. Part of the draw, in addition to seeing family and friends, was that two former foreign exchange students who lived with relatives of mine years ago were also there with their significant others and kids. Each family had travelled from England and Denmark, respectively. I’ve been in touch with the family from Denmark over the years, but hadn’t seen them in approximately two and half years. I hadn’t seen the couple from England in 13 or 14 years and had never met their children. It was great to reconnect with both families in person.
Not only will I now stay in better touch with the family from England, but one of my nieces made a great connection in her chosen area of study. You never know who you’ll meet or how they may help you or you might help them in life if you’re not open to meeting new people or reconnecting.
And when I talk about travel, I don’t mean every trip needs to be the “trip of a lifetime” to Europe, a safari, or an expensive flight to a remote island. It can be a short weekend in town, a staycation, or a trip to a town an hour or two away. But try different places and activities—sometimes you don’t know you like something until you try it
The point is to give your brain and body a break, as well as spending quality time with your family and friends, hopefully meeting interesting locals or other travelers along the way. Your life will be that much more interesting for you and to others.
