I find myself taking mental vacations far too often than I would like to admit. Sometimes I’m strolling the streets of Rome, exploring the monumental sites and dining on the traditional Italian cuisine. Other days I’m lounging on the beach somewhere, hidden within the Virgin Islands, burying my feet in the sand along the crystal blue water as the sun kisses my skin. Then quickly, I jump on a plane back to reality and am once again studying for the British Literature test I have tomorrow. Ugh. Why am I doing this to myself? Why does anyone do this to themselves? This great, big world has so much to offer us, so why do we stay in one place and just dream of these faraway places when it’s absolutely possible to go see them for ourselves?
1. We’re Afraid
Making a decision like choosing to drop everything you’re doing to travel the world is not something that comes easy. There are so many things to be afraid of when it comes to a decision like this, like what am I leaving behind? What would I come back to? What if I miss something?
Yes, there is a lot to be afraid of. If you spend your whole life in one spot, of course going somewhere different for a little while is going to be scary. You are in fact leaving a decent amount behind you if you left, and yes, you might miss some birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions, but there’s nothing that a FaceTime call can’t fix.
2. “School comes first”
Me, like many others, is a firm believer in the fact that I can’t travel right now because my education comes first. In today’s society, receiving a degree from a higher education institution is the only way to go. Anything like choosing to work, learning a trade, or traveling is something that is frowned upon.
Although I believe that I should attend school before I decide to travel, not everyone needs to believe that. School is not going anywhere. Education and learning is forever, especially if you’re exploring new places. If you have the money and time to travel, you should. College and universities that are willing to teach you are not going anywhere, and they’re not going to deny you if you’re attending a few years late.
3. It’s expensive
Unfortunately, traveling is incredibly expensive. Airfare, hotel expenses, transportation expenses when you reach your destination, food, and everything else you might need while you’re away. In order to travel, an extremely large sum of money needs to be saved up prior, because, let’s face it, who wants to work while exploring the world?
Although traveling is expensive, it is extremely possible to be smart about it and even travel on a budget. Instead of staying in a hotel room during your exploration, maybe rent a small apartment or a small room in a shared apartment. It’s also important to keep in mind that American currency is not always equivalent to foreign places currencies, so it’s very possible that you are getting more for your American dollars on your getaway.
4. “I don’t really have the time.”
Most people believe that taking their dream exploration deserves weeks on end, and most people believe that they also don’t exactly have those weeks to spare. Who really has the time to just drop everything for a few weeks?
This dilemma is completely understandable, but is it really enough for you to not travel? Life is too short to make yourself feel like you don’t have time to see the world. What about all of those vacation days you’ve been saving up? How about just a long weekend? Retiring soon? Retire sooner! Life is too short to stay in one place when we were given such a big, beautiful world to see and explore.
