You Deserve a Vacation!
There is more to life than simply paying the bills.
Do you have a financial budget to manage the comings and goings of your money? I do — sort of.
I know how much money needs to be set aside for the physical necessities of shelter and utilities.
I allocate for the car payment, insurance and set some aside for gas, basic maintenance, etc.
My husband and I like to eat and we like to eat out (sometimes more often than we should). There’s a pocket of money for that necessity/indulgence.
We are not excessive when it comes to our clothing, but we understand the need to cover our naked bodies — so there is always an eye on having a modest clothing allowance.
We also understand that stuff breaks breaks down or otherwise wears out — so we make sure there is enough money around to replace the necessities and semi-luxuries we enjoy in life.
We save. We invest. We balance the checkbook.
We are solvent.
But, as I always like to say — There is “more” to life!
Some of that “more” consists of little day-to-day perks — Think a glass of wine with friends, movie night, or an impulse buy just for the sheer pleasure of it.
But, the “more” I’m talking about here is more along the line of a vacation. Short (three days) or long (two weeks or longer), it doesn’t matter.
Vacations are not completely self-indulgent wastes of money. I maintain that vacations are essential to your overall good health — mental and physical — and should definitely have a valid place in your short and long term financial plans.
Still not convinced?
Consider what vacation time can do for your life.
Normal life is stressful.
You may absolutely love the life you are living. If so, congratulations, not everyone is that fortunate. But, every life, every job, every day, is a series of never-ending repetitions and obligations. You tend to lose your edge when you can predict your next move all day long.
Vacation time shakes that routine up a bit. You may get a little more rest if a relaxing vacation is your style. If an active vacation is more to your liking, new adventures and stimulation can give you the battery recharge you need to return to “normal” with renewed energy and a fresh sense of purpose.
The world is bigger than you and your little life.
Expanding your mind by interacting with the diverse marketplace of cultures, social dynamics, and personalities throughout the world will show you what you’re missing by existing in your own small bubble.
It’s easy to get caught up in your own head. When you see what happens inside the head of people leading different lives in different parts of the world, your own petty problems often tend to pale in comparison. It’s amazing how much your mind can expand when you’re exposed to new ideas and alternative ways of living.
See as much of the whole world as you can.
I can’t recommend highly enough the importance of foreign travel. The world is an interactive place in the twenty-first century.
If you stay locked in place where you live and may have always lived, you are missing out on the vast opportunity for growth that the world is offering with open arms.
Traveling to foreign locales will enhance your communication skills, without a doubt. You may not always speak the local language, but you will always find a way to communicate your wants and needs.
You will build great coping skills as you learn to deal with the change, uncertainty or confusion that so often accompanies time spent in truly foreign environments.
You only know what you know.
Travel expands the options for the rest of your life. You might be amazed at the possibilities out there. It doesn’t matter whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a small village just outside of Podunk, there are experiences out there in the world that you can only have if you are out there in the world.
You will become more tolerant.
Everybody isn’t just like you — truth be told, there isn’t anyone just like you — but the point is, much of your daily life probably consists of interactions with similar folks. Travel exposes you to the good, the bad and the wacky in the world.
You may learn a greater appreciation for the life you lead. You may learn that the life you lead does not meet up to your highest expectations. You may learn to explore some other options and stretch yourself for reach a fuller for the life of your dreams. You will definitely learn to understand, accept (or not) and tolerate the diverse people you will meet on this earth.
The lesson to be learned here is this — there are places to go and people to see — and you will be better off for going to these places and meeting these people.
History does not just live in history books.
You probably read about them in school, but that doesn’t come close to the real-life experience of seeing things like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
When you go out and experience the wonders of the world, you expand your view of the world in ways that can never be undone.
You may have thought your grasp of history and world dynamics was solid based on your formal education, but all that will change when you actually step outside your own small box and see the world as it is.
The difference between the concept of how the world should work and the reality of how the world does work is a real eye-opener. There is no better way to understand this than to see it up close and personal.
We are more alike than we are different.
From your vantage point, the people of the world may seem foreign and strange — not at all like you. When you actually spend time in the presence of these “strange” people, you will see a lot more common ground than you probably ever imaged. The human struggle is a universal concept.
Vacations and travel, in general, provide unequally opportunity for a clear change of venue and a renewed and refreshed mind.
They are also a well-deserved reward for the wonderful job you do managing day-to-day life every other day of your year.
So, the next time you take stock on the comings and goings of your hard-earned money, be sure to work some vacation time into your budget.