It's rare that anyone on our team at The Travel Yogi goes more than a few weeks without travel. Whether we're traveling to scout out our next yoga retreat location or simply to explore a new location for ourselves, travel is at the core of who we are. Even as frequent travelers, it occasionally happens that a month or two will pass without a trip on the calendar. This post is being written while waiting for a delayed flight during the first trip after a fairly long period without travel - fairly long being more than 4 weeks.
As we sit and listen to the buzz of announcements happening as flights arrive and depart and watch the multitudes of people also making their way from one place to another, we have some time to reflect on the last few days and remember why it's important to travel often.
Keeping Our Eyes Open
While at home, it's easy to get stuck in routine and repeat the same schedule day in and day out. Every part of travel forces us out of our routine and to open our eyes to the unfamiliar. Without fail, every time we travel we learn something new and open our eyes and hearts to something unexpected. These moments happen at home, but having these experiences when we travel makes us more open to breaking out of routine in our daily lives as well.
Relaxation
Even sitting in the middle of a busy airport, travel allows us to relax and release. How often do you have the opportunity to sit down with a good book while at home? Life is busy and many of us are balancing very full schedules. The travel process may not seem relaxing initially, but if you let go of the process and savor the moments of your journey, you'll see that it's actually an excellent opportunity to turn your phone off, open a book, and say goodbye to the responsibilities of daily life. No WiFi at your hotel? Good! Close your computer and experience the world around you. Let go of the little things that could cause stress along the way and be open to the adventure.
Fun
When life gets too serious, travel is an excellent way to make sure you remember to have fun. Late night swim when you would usually be in bed. Early morning walk on the beach. Long days of laughter with friends, family, or people you meet along the way. Do your favorite yoga pose at your new favorite place and don't take anything along the way too seriously.
Reboot
Just like all electronic devices that sometimes simply need to be turned off and then turned back on, travel allows us to hit the reset button. It's easy to think that you'll stay caught up if you stay in routine, but eventually the responsibility of daily life starts to wear - no matter how stubborn you are about it. Use your vacation days. Book a trip. It's good to remember that whatever keeps you pinned down will keep going without you for a few days and to hit reset so that you're ready for productivity when you return.