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Travel Therapy: It Might Not Be Cheap But It's Sure To Be Transformative

If you can't change your situation, change your location.
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People travel for all sorts of reasons. To see a specific monument or city. To escape winter and relax on a beach. To see loved ones or visit places with friends. To snowboard postcard-worthy mountains or surf a world-famous break. To party on a bus full of 20 somethings as a 'rite' of passage (I'm looking at you, Contiki). Or, to relocate for a new job.

All of these reasons are valid and generally 'accepted'. However, these are what I like to call vacations, holidays. They're not a trip, or a journey -- which are generally for months on end, if not a year or more. Journeys are not 10 days in Bali with all meals included.

When someone feels the urge to jump on a plane due to a recent breakup, loss of a loved one, resignation, or any other personal issue life has thrown at them, it's viewed quite a bit differently.

You're accused of running away from your problems or searching for something 'else' that isn't there. People will tell you the grass isn't always greener and that you're nuts for departing from all your friends and family during this time of uncertainty.

So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed and express how much you wish you could just fly away, literally go for it I say.

I'm here to put forth a rebuttal against those opinions. Not because I care about peoples opinions, but because I want to explain.

To discover who you are and what you actually want, or to gain some clarity in life, I can think of no better way than to throw yourself into the unknown and figure it out, travelling the world. You might actually be happier somewhere else. It all depends. As I always say, if you can't change your situation, change your location.

There is no question that getting on a plane and immersing yourself in a completely different culture will help to distract you from whatever pains you in life, but it will also bring you two other things; happiness and perspective.

Travel therapy is getting lost in a new city, lying on a beach in Mexico or trekking the Kokoda trail. It doesn't matter where you go and what you do, the point is you're adventuring and enjoying yourself. You will learn new things about yourself -- what really matters to you, and what no longer doesn't.

Seeing things from a foreign perspective will make you appreciate your home, and what you do have. Seeing how lucky we are to live in this country compared to how things can be in others, that will bring gratefulness back into your heart and help balance your perspective.

At best, travelling could change everything for you, and you'll end up in a far better place than when you left. At worst, it will provide you with some solace and much needed down time to think about what you want, and what to do next on your journey.

Some people, like me, will travel their whole lives. They'll never be 'done'. We will always be searching. That's just how we're built and we don't expect people who take vacations to understand. It's not a better or worse way to live your life, just different.

So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed and express how much you wish you could just fly away, literally go for it I say. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It could change your life, or at the very least, provide a beautiful backdrop for some much needed cocktails. Give yourself a month off from your life if you can, and not just your job.

Bon Voyage.

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