Its hard to deny the joys of travel; its a pretty universally loved experience.
Of course, its also expensive and its not always easy to make time for it.
Come Up With a Plan, Even a Long-Term One
Evenfrugal travelbe pretty expensive.
So expensive, in fact, that were quick to brush it off and say we cant afford it.
A great question to ask when you feel defeated is what if?
And waiting two years for a trip was better than spending two years frustrated and restless.
it’s possible for you to do the same thing with your time.
Settle on some dates and figure out a timeline for booking flights, hotels, and so on.
Theres a lot of power even in simply establishing a time frame.
Even if its next year, at least its on the horizon.
Holiday trips are experiences which people look forward to (Miller et al.
For most, the enjoyment starts weeks, even months before the holiday actually begins.
Remarkably, post-trip happiness is generally not different for vacationers and non-vacationers.
While youre saving or waiting for the time, learn the language, read about it.
Set time to actually plan your trip.
From picking a location to figuring out the financial part to setting certain milestones to help you get excited.
Make a list of a few books you want to read on the topic.
Reminisce on your old trip.
Make albums with your old photos.
You might even consider setting a few planning goals every month to keep your excitement up.
We get to see someplace new.
We get to learn new things and experience new cultures.
Overall, we get to break out of our rut and reconnect with ourselves.
There are ways to achieve this novelty in your normal, everyday life, though.
Our routines and systemsmight make us super productive, but its easy to get stuck in them, too.
Here are a few ways to combat this problem.
Go outside when you take your breaks, too.
Research published inPsychological Sciencefound that people perform cognitively better after spending time in a natural setting.
Practice Mindfulness
Trendy as it may be, mindfulness serves a great, practical purpose.
Namely, it keeps you motivated and focused.
For example, while eating, remember to savor each bite every time you put your fork down.
Pausing before you respond
to children
or adultscan also help you become more mindful in your relationships.
More (deceptively simple) practices include
practicing appreciation and letting go of control.
Tour Your Town
Maybe you wouldnt exactly describe your town as a cultural epicenter.
Thats fineyou dont have to live in London to get some nearby novelty.
Visit local museums, parks, have dinner in a different part of town.
Or, you might plan afun weekend road tripto a town or city nearby.
The point is,saying yes to stuff like thatmore often means I leave my routine more often.
For a few months, I did a good job of following that advice.
Breaking out of your everyday routine might also be as simple as mixing up your environment.
However, the travel itch often comes around when we feel stuck or were craving something new.
