Published on March 30th, 2019
Have you ever heard the advice about getting out of your comfort zone?
The truth is that everyone has a so-called comfort zone. It’s the space where your behaviors are focused on minimizing risk.
And that’s exactly why we tend to travel to the same places for every vacation.
We know they’re fun. We know they’re safe.
We know exactly what kind of value we’re getting for our money. There may be some surprises, but it’s not an entirely new and scary experience.
But in reality, it’s not a good idea to live in your comfort zone – In daily life or on vacation.
You should most certainly consider traveling somewhere new every year. Here are a few reasons why:
You’ll Get Used To Change
The more changes you introduce into your life, the more you’ll be accustomed to change. And that’s a good thing – because change is inevitable. We like to think that we can control our world. We feel security in the idea that we’re in control.
Unfortunately, that’s only an illusion. Think about any time in your life where you felt you had control over your life. Eventually, that idea gets shattered because, at is core, life isn’t permanent. Neither is your comfort.
The more you get used to change, the better equipped you’ll be at handling change when it’s out of your control.
You’ll Live In The Moment
When you’re stuck in the same rut, even on vacation, it’s easy to go on autopilot. But when you step out of your comfort zone, you’re more likely to experience each moment.
Why?
Because you’ve left your safety net. You are forced to live in the present moment because it’s a little scary and uncomfortable. You don’t know what’s going to happen next, and so you must pay attention.
That sort of living in the moment can be extremely liberating. No longer are you focused on your problems. Suddenly, you’re free to experience life for what it is.
You’ll Expand Your Horizons
When you travel to faraway lands, you’ll broaden your horizons by experiencing other cultures. There is no replacement for this type of life experience. So grab your travel pillow and board that flight headed towards Kuala Lumpur.
You’ll experience life outside of your comfort zone and challenge any existing conformation bias you may have about yourself or your homeland. In an entirely new country, you can experience different foods, meet new people, and maybe even learn a new language. Because of this, travel is great for your body and soul. And you don’t get that fresh perspective from traveling to the same place every year.
Collect Great Stories
Imagine traveling to every state in the U.S. or to every continent on the planet. You’d have plenty to talk about at cocktail parties, wouldn’t you?
With each place you travel, you experience new things, which creates new memories. You can say you’ve tried a Hurricane in Nola or had the best pizza in Manhattan. Maybe you’ve taken a jungle safari in Africa. There are endless conversation topics you can collect from traveling the world, but it all boils down to one thing: You’ll become a more interesting person.
Meet Friends Around The World
Talk to anyone in the habit of traveling to different places, and they’ll probably tell you that they’ve made a lot of friends along the way. As you visit new places, you’re likely to interact with other travelers. And you’ll instantly have at least one thing in common. You both like to travel.
And in the age of social media, it’s easy to keep in touch with friends we meet while traveling. It doesn’t have to be a one-and-done kind of friendship. Maybe you can even make plans to meet in another destination next year.
Travel is a great way to expand your horizons and live life to the fullest – but you’re going to be missing out on most of the travel benefits if you only travel to one destination.
When you stick with one place, it becomes less like travel and more like your home away from home.
So make a “habit” of getting out of your comfort zone and exploring new cities at least once a year. You’ll be glad you did.