 Whether to an exotic Mediterranean island or to your own backyard, travelling is an important aspect of the balanced lifestyle that is often overlooked – to the detriment of many.
With my last first-year university exam behind me, I am finally afforded a chance to let my mind wander... But, where does it want to wander to? South Africa is such a beautifully diverse country with thousands of amazing locations and destinations – and our weather is so amazing – that even I, as a poor young student, can think of a multitude of daydream-worthy destinations.
The travel industry is worth billions of dollars, and we are bombarded daily with advertisements and special offers for shopping holidays in Paris, swimming holidays in the Maldives, safari tours in the Highveld or lazy-lounging holidays in Zanzibar. Why do human beings travel? Why do we feel the insatiable desire – and sometimes even the downright need – to escape from our daily lives and explore new ones?
Culture shock
On the website Helium.com, many ardent travellers keep travel diaries and tell others about their experiences, making recommendations or giving warnings. Aldo Bonincontro, one such traveller, says that “travelling is a fascinating way to discover and know the world.” I am bound to agree with that – a three-week trip to India late in 2009 taught me more about the world and the vast amount of different people and cultures that exist in it that I have ever learned from books, magazines, or the internet. “Travel must be interesting and stimulating because visiting a new town, region or country shows me a new culture, a new natural environment, and new people,” says Bonincontro. Local art, national monuments and traditional practices or cultural oddities are one of the biggest reasons I feel every person should visit at least one country beside their own. “One of the most rewarding and enriching experiences a person can have is to see how life is lived in cities and countries outside their own background,” says Tammy Winand, another Helium travel blogger. One’s idea of how big and diverse and amazing the world is is simply mistaken before one has had a chance to sample another culture and its traditions.
I need a break – seriously!
Overworking and excessive stress can take its toll on your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and often we dream of holidays in different places as an escape from the issues we have to deal with in our daily lives. Askmen.com writer Eddie Chandler outlines the benefits of travelling in his article “9 Benefits of Travel”. “Travel gives you an opportunity to relax and de-stress,” says Chandler. Taking a break from your routine – even if your professional life is relaxed – can offer you new eyes through which to see the world, your life, and the problems or challenges you face. Take some time out – whether it be at the Kruger, on an exotic island, in the Natal Midlands or on a Greek beachfront – to re-energise, regain focus and straighten out your goals and aims in life, otherwise you will inevitably burn out. People are made for adventure, they crave excitement and they delight in the weird, wonderful, and new.
Different day, same problems
Breaking the monotony of your daily life will help you avoid getting stuck in the rut. Even if your life is relatively free from stress, if it is the same every day, you will need a break from the tedium and uniformity surrounding you to inspire new ideas, face your challenges and regain personal balance, bringing peace to your life. “A trip of any kind provides you with a break from the norm, and that alone can inject you with energy,” says Chandler.
Good for your body, good for your soul
Visiting new places and getting in touch with nature has many unspoken health benefits. A simple walk in the woods, or even in your local park, helps relieve tension, slowing and deepening your breathing and decreasing your heart rate. Visiting places with beautiful natural scenery or physical activities such as walks, hikes, mountain climbing, yoga classes, swimming or tubing will have immeasurable benefits for your body – as well as your soul.
Wherever you take a holiday – France, Hogsback, Ibiza, the Vaal Dam, or a tent in your backyard – you can be sure that adventure will not be far behind.
About the author: Kayla is currently a first-year Journalism and Media Studies student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. She is the editor of the Comment & Analysis section of student newspaper Activate and she a writer for the Politics, Business, and Features sections, as well as a sub-editor for the paper. Her other subjects are Economics, English, History and Sociology. She devours books and sees herself as one of the blessed few who actually enjoy working. She is involved with student society SHARC (Student HIV/AIDS Resistance Campaign) at Rhodes and has recently graduated as a certified Peer Educator. She is the community engagement representative for the African Drum Society and is currently working with up-and-coming student society Common Ground in the same capacity. She loves watching art films and her guilty pleasure is shopping.
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