7 Reasons Why I Travel More and Shop Less!

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Once upon a time I was a shopaholic. Honest confession. I still remember on how I would buy stuff that remained unused all the time as it was completely unnecessary in the first place. Being caught up in the morass of lies and deception as a result of overloaded consumerism, the idea of buying things at one point of time (sooner or later) start to become meaningless. Fortunately, I reached my saturation point pretty soon and I decided to give a cold shoulder to the temporary sugar high that came from buying and owning 'things'. This is when I realized life is too short to throw it away fretting over what should I buy next for instant happiness but permanent emptiness. I was surrounded with 'things' and a 'thing' no matter how valuable it is remains a 'thing' i.e. non-breathing, non-living - THING.



Sanity prevailed and splurging over material gains got replaced with making memories. This is where 'traveling' comes in and re-shapes my life. I can go on forever talking about the endless reasons why I adamantly prefer to save so that I can splurge on a sexy vacation - I will stick to a few.

Here are my top 7 picks:

1. Experiences:
All the experiences that I have gained from traveling are worth million of things and million dollar of things. Valuable learning that comes via traveling has enriched me and has grown me as a person. May it be making friends at the airport while waiting to be boarded or trying to absorb the uniqueness of a new place - its absolutely amazingly phenomenal.

 2. Free As a Bird:
Sense of freedom that comes along with traveling is known to almost all of us. There is not a worry on mind on what I have to do next - except where should I be headed to for sight seeing, what should I be exploring and what food should I try. I hummed 'Knee Deep' by Zac Brown as I wrote this one.

3. Fearless:
Traveling kills the fear. Fear of heights or fear of landings, fear of the unknown or fear of being different. You see anyone scared of anything - pack their bags up and send them away for a few days. A completely different version will come back knocking at your door to say thanks to you. Guaranteed!

4. Lots of Adventure:
May it be signing up for 13,000 feet sky diving or missing a flight, all the adventure that is espoused with traveling can be anyone's yearly adrenaline dose. No Kidding!



5. Building Mind Palace:
Traveling builds up my mind palace. I still  remember the faces from the park I would go to for my evening walk and I still remember that Lebanese guy from a meat shop. So while you increase your magnesium intake - consider increasing your traveling too for a better memory.

6. High and Long Lasting Value:
As cliche as I may sound but traveling gives mutifold joy. Pre-during-post - all three of stages are exciting, high valued and stays with me for a longer period of time. I don't remember cherishing a hot dress I bought for a highly anticipated occasion much but I do remember the 7,000 miles of my road trip I took all the way from Minnesota to Florida - every bit of it! (special thanks to my Uncle and Aunt for that)

7. Soul Searching Process:
Traveling is no less than a meditation. May it be when you are out at a starry night walking alone or may it be you are just sitting by the lake contemplating about life. Its like going within and coming out urging for more and singing to yourself "What a Wonderful World".

When I say replace your "Retail Therapy" with the "Traveling Cardio" its not only because of my above stated personal reasons but is also supported by the research published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. 

So, what are you waiting for? Declutter - Fly Away - Explore - Renew.

About the Author: Believes in herself!









Comments

  1. Unknown10 April 2017 at 01:13

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Unknown10 April 2017 at 01:33

    awesome article from an awesome lady! well written!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saba Gohar10 April 2017 at 02:07

      I'm flattered!: ) keep a tab - interesting stuff ahead!

      Delete

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