Holidays - One Of Life's Priorities!
'Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer' - Anonymous
Hands up who has ever been on holiday? The chances are that the majority of you either thought about putting their hands up or literally put their hands up! Because most of us have had at least one holiday in our life time and some have had many many more than that.
And what was the reason for that holiday? To get a rest? To get some sun? Culture? Does there even need to be one?
In the next 48 hours (this is being written on a Thursday night) we are flying to Copenhagen for a 3 days trip to visit some friends and explore the city. But I want to explore the reasons behind why we go away so much. And more importantly, why I believe it's vital to all of our health and well-being.
Most people we know work bloody hard for their wage. Maybe it's a British thing. Maybe it's the people we surround ourselves with. Maybe it's none of those things but I do know that the money we all earn is used for a hugely wide variety of things. From day to day living, to children and their needs and, in some cases, education. To bills and various financial commitments. And what is left, might just be used for a holiday, if that's your thing.
As you all know, Mary and I haven't been able to have children so we find ourselves with a little extra cash throughout the year that we can make decisions about what we do with it. And more often than not, that cash goes on holidays.
A holiday to us is not a chance to rest and recuperate, in the traditional sense, from the demands of teaching. We had a haunting all-inclusive holiday in Cape Verde once where we spent a torturous 2 weeks laying by a pool or the sea and eating in the same restaurants night-in night out. It's definitely not our thing.
So we thought we should look in to holidays, what they are to us, and why we think they should be factored in to everyone's lives by any means necessary.
1) Quality time together
Cliched yes but a holiday is such a great time to just be together. During the term we leave the house at 7am and get home around 7pm so we have maybe 3 hours of knackered chat before we crash. Yes, I know we're rubbish regarding sleep! We have to get our 8 hours so it's bed at 10pm. So how much time do we really spend together in term time?
Smiles for miles
We married because we kind of like each other!! So a holiday is a brilliant time to reconnect in a relaxed environment and remind yourselves of all of the reasons you're together in the first place. And it doesn't have to be a partner. It could be with parents, children, friends. It's just the perfect opportunity to reconnect with people you value.
2) Seeing new things
We try not to be creatures of habit when it comes to holidays. We always look for places we've not been before (even if it's in a country we have been to before). The world is full of both natural and man made beauty and excitement. It can blow your mind. From the Grand Canyon or pretty much all of New Zealand to the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. It is all so enriching.
People in White Houses shouldn't throw stones...
You learn so much providing you're open to it. Seeing places on videos or other peoples photo's don't truly do them justice. And even when you're there you can get carried away with trying to capture it in a shot. Just take a step back, turn technology off, and breathe it in. Without realising it you're growing as a human and inspiring others to do the same.
3) Meeting new people
The world is such a vast place and the culture out there is so excitingly eye opening. We're really not on board with the whole xenophobic vibe sweeping the globe at the moment and seeing new places is a great way of learning about how other people from other countries tick.
We have met people from across the globe that we would now consider to be friends for life and we have experienced how different cultures, religions and belief systems work in contrast to our own. It's all very positive and you quickly realise that the people of the world, regardless of creed, colour, beliefs are such good people.
A Swedish/British Fusion. We (the boys) met and travelled Australia together 15 years ago and we would all consider each other BFF's! We all feel close. Men and women.
People you can learn from and hang with. Sure there are a small minority of bad people but the good outweighs the bad enormously. Laughter is an international language and we need to be speaking that language with other people, from completely different backgrounds to us, more.
4) Refresh rather than rest or relax
Of course, this will be a bone of contention but we can achieve the same results from any holiday with a slightly different mindset.
We've tried all sorts of holidays from all-inclusive 2 weekers to short city breaks. We've travelled the world for 8 months and done longer road trip style holidays. We've stayed with friends in various places and we've even tried a staycation. For us, there really is only one style that ticks all boxes.
When we go away we like to be active or stay on the move. Pack as much in to our days as possible and see as much as we can. Essentially squeezing the last drops out of each holiday. It's not relaxing in the traditional sense. There are lots of super early mornings. There could be driving for a few hours per day, continually moving and adapting to new surroundings. But the level of enrichment we feel we're getting from it is what invigorates and inspires us. And even though we're not resting by a beach every day, we come back feeling completely energised and excited and want to share our experiences.
Road Trip - East Coast USA 2014
So if you're worried that an active holiday or a holiday in which you move around a lot, will actually make you tired, fear not. It will add energy and passion in to your life and set your soul on fire. You see and do so much that you can't help but wake every morning with off the charts excitement!
Yes there's a case to be made for 2 weeks around a pool or at a beach. Especially if you have families. But maybe stepping just a tiny bit outside of your comfort zone and taking that plunge will open you up to a whole new world of experiences. It just takes slightly more planning but the rewards far outweigh the time spend in advance.
5) Memories that last a life time
Money comes and goes, as do possessions. But memories last for a lifetime. So creating those memories that get you through a winter, or inspire you to do or be a better person, is essential. Memories of holidays have an overwhelmingly positive power. They can cut through tensions, instantly change moods, allow you to see the world in different ways, keep you going through dark winters and inspire you to see even more of this incredible planet you live on.
So if you do find yourself with a little expendable income and you're not sure what to do with it; a holiday will be the best thing you can spend it on. And if you're currently up against it financially, there are always ways to still make it happen. You just need a bit of determination and some planning.
Fijian Paradise
We like to plan far enough ahead that we can pay our holidays off bit by bit from our monthly pay. That way we're never over-stretching ourselves and often have the holiday all paid off before we even get there.
And that's it. If you're procrastinating about whether to get away this year. Stop thinking and start planning. The world is out there for you to experience. You just have to take that first step and commit to it. You won't regret it. We never have! Even our 2 week all-inclusive hell helped us refine what we love in a holiday!!