For many college students, it seems that the work just never ends during the school year. Some professor is always assigning long readings, a pointless project or an incredibly challenging exam. I try to deal with school during the week, work on the weekends and make some attempt to have a social life (I’m not very good at it). It feels like my mind is spinning 100 percent nonstop every day because of work, school, or both. That takes a toll on you both physically and mentally. It is critical to have stress relievers in your life. Some people hang out with friends, watch Netflix or go out; but I think there is another very valuable stress reliever that we sometimes overlook: travel.

Whenever I tell people that I travel to relieve stress, the first thing they bring up is how much it probably costs me to do that. Given I work for a hotel chain that should remain nameless (Marriott), I get very good rates at some wonderful hotels in practically any city in the US. So a cheap hotel room really cuts down the price of a trip for me. Not everyone has that discount though, so if money is an issue, I’d recommend day trips, smaller hotels/ motels, camping, or becoming friends with me and I’ll take you with me.

For me, my trips normally consist of flying somewhere. Maybe once a month I’ll just fly to a city, spend a night at a hotel and come back. The hotel is cheap for me and airline tickets can be pretty affordable if you book early or with a low cost carrier. When I travel, I normally don’t let anyone know about it. I’m only gone for a day and I live away from home, so it’s pretty easy to hop out of Oxford for the night.

There is just something about leaving town without anyone else knowing that I find very fascinating. I am around people constantly, so sometimes I just love being on my own. I love driving somewhere alone, I love going to the airport alone, and I love exploring colorful places on my own. I am just as comfortable roaming the streets of San Francisco as I am working the front desk at the Cincinnati Marriott North.

Travel comes in many forms. It can be a plane ride across the country or a car ride across the county. No matter how you do it, there is an unspoken value to it. Whether you tell all your friends and family about your adventure or you go without telling a soul, you are embarking on an adventure that may bring you great excitement and opportunity.

To me, travel is a way of getting away from the stress and worry that I live with every day. It’s nice to be able to just escape it all for a short while and live life outside of school and work. Never be afraid to escape your comfort zone and start living your life.