Happy New Year to all of my readers! 2023 was a great year for my blog thanks to all of you for reading it! Today we’re talking about Travel! In December I decided to take a spur of the moment three-day trip to Ireland, solo. While I was there I got to enjoy what Ireland has to offer (cliffs, castles, and lots of beer). The breathless beauty of the Cliffs of Moher had me thinking “why don’t people do this more?”. I know that everyone has different situations and abilities but I want to encourage you to think about how you might prioritize travel in 2024, and why it’s important. I don’t mean just “vacation” at a resort for a week at the beach (although there is a time and place for that as well)… I mean “travel”… where you are learning, and discovering, and trying new foods and new experiences, getting lost, meeting people who are different from you, and seeing the world in a different way. 

One thing I know for sure is that if you don’t prioritize and plan for it, travel wont happen. It’s up to you to make it a priority. But I started wondering if there is any science behind how travel can improve your life and I came across a few things that I wanted to share to hopefully convince you to prioritize travel more this year. Here are 5 scientifically proven reasons why you should travel more:

1. Travel reduces the risk of death!

The LA Times published a study that proves that travel makes you healthier. The study found that men who did not take a yearly vacation were at a 20% higher risk of death than those that did take an annual vacation. Simple enough right? If you don’t want to die, take a vacation! This should be of particular interest to anyone who is afraid of DANGER while traveling. I know we’ve all heard stories (or have them to tell) about people getting hurt, or mugged, or whatever, while traveling, but even with these rare risks, you are STILL reducing your risk of death by traveling.

2. Travel relieves stress and makes you more productive at work

I know airports can cause stress and anxiety but part of your airport stress is self induced. You can choose just to not be stressed in the airport. That’s been my approach. I have realized that if the plan doesn’t go 100% the way you anticipated, it’s OKAY! Everything will turn out fine, and you’ll at least have a GREAT story to tell afterwards. Very Well Mind published this study that proves people are less stressed after taking a vacation, and it also improves your job performance if you take frequent vacations.

3. Travel makes you more creative

Have you ever wished you were “more creative” (first of all, you’re probably limiting yourself). Many artists have drawn inspiration from their travels. There is just something about experiencing new places for the first time, and observing the people in different places that inspires. The Atlantic published this article about how travel enhances creativity. Even better if you can live in another place but you still get the creative benefits just from visiting.

4. Travel makes you happier and reduces the risk of depression

A study from the National Library of Medicine found that travelers experienced the highest levels of happiness in the weeks and months leading up to travel. Forbes says that anticipating travel releases dopamine in your brain, which I know we all crave. So not only do you get benefits from the travel experience itself, you get the benefits from planning it, and anticipating it.  According to Web MD, travel can also reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Time to plan, and then go on, a trip!

5. Travel improves your personality (actually!)

This study by APA PsycNet found that students who took both short and long trips experienced increased Openness and Agreeableness, and a decrease in Neuroticism (a personality trait characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness, and a tendency to experience negative emotions such as fear, sadness, and frustration more easily). So if you’ve ever felt like you wish you had a better personality, go travel!

In conclusion

If you would like to stay alive longer, be less stressed and more productive at work, be more creative, be happier and less depressed, and/or have a better personality – BOOK A TRIP! I’ll leave you with one last bonus tip, here is an article with 4 reasons how traveling can strengthen your relationship with your significant other.

‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to’

-Bilbo Baggins, The Lord of The Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien