A person who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme is called a Livsnjutare, perfect for describing a travel enthusiast. Travel Abroad is an important way through which a person can immerse himself in cultures other than his own, build a world-wide network, escape life’s stressful problems and rejuvenate his spirits, which is essential in today’s day and age as we witness a boundary less world.
Even though it is often said that life begins at the end of your comfort zone, stepping out of the comforts of your home and traveling to a new country can be a very intimidating and scary thought, which isn’t always fun and good. The desire to travel can cause a hole in your pocket, besides costing you in terms of all the work missed and the family obligations scarfed for your selfish motives. Apart from this, some people might become resfeber, associated with how a traveller experiences anxiety, restlessness and nervousness before beginning the journey. Air travel may also be the root cause of problems such as altitude sickness, fatigue and headaches, and indulgences during the stay can lead to a significant decline in health and exercise habits.
But despite all this, the psychological and inter-personal benefits gained by such an activity outweigh all of the negatives. Foreign movement disrupts routine and introduces novelty to the brain, which has a positive influence on its cognitive flexibility. This effective cognition is known to reactivate reward circuits, which enhance depth of thought while stimulating nueroplasticity, leading to generation of creativity responsible for better job performance upon returning and might even lead a solid breakthrough at work.
A literal escape acts as a stress buster and helps in the reduction of body’s stress hormone overdrive. The memories from your trip create a ‘zen space’ in your mind. Revisiting this space helps in relieving stress even upon return, which helps to relax, recharge and rejuvenate the mind, as well as reaping the benefits by adopting habits and rituals enjoyed the most in your lifestyle. The challenges faced during travel help in making you mentally and emotionally resilient and more susceptible to such difficulties back home. The brain develops due to interaction in a foreign language as using up muscle memory helps in its development and intellect heightening.
By witnessing people of different cultures, religions and geographical regions, individuals end up finding similarities among differences, thus uniting to ignite the fire of oneness within, becoming more tolerant and flexible about unfamiliar ways of life, as well as discovering and finding your true inner self. A feeling of empathy and appreciation is brought forward as one learns the art of detachment and starts to live a more graceful and fulfilling life by being present in the moment.
A significant amount of solo travel and experience can have a strong subconscious influence on a human’s personality. The psychological concept of ‘Big Five’ explains this claim, wherein neuroticism, openness, extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeability are said to be the five dominant personality traits, brought out through personal interaction of travellers as well as their immersion into an unknown culture, which leads to inter-persona growth.
There are many psychological aspects and emotional effects analysed in encountering cultures, negatively termed "culture shock” which can be called a "self-limiting crisis" that is a turning point towards health or illness in which environmental stress leads to a state of psychological disequilibrium, in the phase of what is called "disadaptation syndrome." This syndrome includes postural and psychobehavioral disorders akin to those found in depression, as many feel that this is a time at which all productivity comes to a stop. Nonetheless, contradictory views believe that a person deals with surroundings more strongly upon actual engagement with the culture. However the effect of this culture shock might be, there is a cycle of readjustment which is marked by four phases. The first is the ‘tourist’ phase supported by excitement. The second contains ‘elements of the new culture’ which causes irritation, impatience, frustration and anger at times. Then comes the phase when the individual begins to learn, change, and adapt. The last phase is the most beautiful one, in which the individual finally feels at home and enjoys the culture and country.
The experience of every solo travel is alike yet completely different. Independence is found as you communicate with strangers, navigate an unfamiliar city by yourself, gain a new perspective on everything, and understand the true essence of experiential learning. One discovers their rhythm by finding comfort in their own company. The people you meet along the way might teach you a lot more than what you’ve learnt at home your entire life, and you might end up finding best friends in strangers. These are the people you truly connect with, and these are the people who will stick by you through thick and thin. Open mindedness, new-found joy, a spirit of internationalism, adventure and enquiry, and a democratic mind names a few aspects which will be affected by travel.
As Kurt Hahn rightly said, “There is more to you than you think”, where stepping out of your comfort zone and seeing the world reinforces these benefits of travel and the value of measuring life not by the breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.
WRITTEN BY :
Comments