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Are you feeling tired and stressed from your daily routine? Even for those stuck at home; a break in routine is important once in a while. You long to go out and get away from it all. That longing to be somewhere else is just one of the reasons to go on a road trip.

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

— John Lubbock, The Use of Life

A road trip is an opportunity to give your mind and body a rest. It’s a quick getaway that gives back huge benefits for your overall wellness. Everyone can benefit from enjoying the relaxing sights and the sounds of nature without being rushed for time. You surely have friends and colleagues who feel the same way. So, why not put your heads together and plan your road trip?

Here are just some more of the many good reasons why you should absolutely go on a road trip.

1. Take a Break to Stop Burnout

When you’re bored with your daily routine or too stressed out to work, you lower your productivity. Instead of risking burn out, why not burn calories having fun on a road trip instead? A break from your usual weekend routine will also change your mindset and energy. It may even inspire new ideas on how you can make your work more fun and productive.

“Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.”

— Anthony Bourdain

If you usually spend your weekends catching up on sleep and still feeling groggy on Mondays; that’s a good sign that you should go on a road trip. Travel can help change your usual sluggish or grinding pace. Spending time in nature is always a good way to recharge. Plan a quick swim on the nearest beach or go trekking or biking on a nature trail. Enjoy breathing in the fresh air and take a walk on the ground with bare feet to ground you again and feel the health benefits.

2. Explore a New Place

Pick a place near your area that you can drive to that you’ve never been to before. Local travel may not seem as attractive an experience as your dream travel destinations. But you won’t know what gems you’ll find in your own backyard if you don’t go and experience them for yourself. Another one of the reasons to go on a road trip is to help businesses in your locality. Ask your colleagues and friends for suggestions or plan to schedule a road trip to one of your friend’s home towns each weekend.

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”

— Dalai Lama

Is there a tourist spot that some of you have heard of that you want to check out? Have you visited a historical place near your city? Never tried taking a trek on a forest trail? Have you always wanted to climb a mountain? Would you rather have a food trip at some local town? There are so many options to satisfy your curiosity and experience something new.

There are so many choices and possibilities. Just be sure not to put too much on your itinerary. Be open to pleasant surprises along the way. A road trip should be a relaxing and fun experience. It should not be stressful; that’s what you’re trying to get away from.

3. Strengthen Relationships

There’s no question about it. Spending time together deepens the bond between people. That’s why you develop friendships in the workplace when you go on a trip together. You get to know each other’s personal quirks and preferences in the planning stage and you will learn even more about each other as you experience new things together.

On a road trip, you do not only get to bond with your friends or family, you also get to know new people. The stories you share with each other will help you understand each other more deeply than just casual work conversations. This is why people who travel together often go back to work with private jokes that only they understand, and it sparks a conversation with other colleagues too.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”

— Henry Miller

Some great friendships began with a road trip and some acquaintances develop into life long friendships because of a road trip. The people who you meet during your trip could become your very good friends later on too.

Stressed out from your love life or lack thereof? That’s another of the good reasons to go on road trip! It might just be the chance to meet “The One” that you’ve been waiting for – whether it’s a special someone or an opportunity to take a step to realize a dream.

4. Rediscover Yourself

Travel allows us to discover something new about ourselves. A new environment gives you the chance to reflect and appreciate many aspects of yourself. You expand your self-awareness including the things about you that you, and maybe others too, always took for granted. Sometimes, it even gives us the opportunity to change our own beliefs and habits and train our minds to understand different points of views.

“Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.”

— Roy Goodman

You may discover that you actually like listening to the songs of a local artist that a colleague likes to play on their mobile phone. It might just be the right song to accompany you on your road trip. It can even inspire the whole theme of your road trip or vice versa. You might find a new dish that you’ve never tasted before and it might inspire you to learn how to cook. Maybe you rediscover your creative side from encountering some local crafts or art.

You never know what you will learn about yourself once you get out of your comfort zone. What you discover may help improve your life or even drastically change it for the better. One of the best reasons to go on a road trip is that it might turn out to be the first step to your best life yet.

5. Create Lasting Memories

Time is something that you can never get back. You can always get a new job but never more time, so why not spend it making good memories? This is also a good way to make more memories with your family and friends.

Try to go on a road trip whenever you feel that you need to. Get together with the friends who want to experience new things with you too. Laugh together about the funny stories that you have from your childhood; cry together while reading a letter to your past, heartbroken self over a bonfire on the beach; sing along to your road trip play list; gaze at the stars on a clear night away from city lights and traffic; sleep to the sound of waves gently crashing on the beach; wake up to the sound of birds chirping.

“We travel not to escape life, but life not to escape us.”

— Robyn Yong

There are so many things to appreciate and wonder at when you travel, and that’s just another one of the many good reasons to go on a road trip. Remember that the journey is the real adventure, the destination is not as important.

Enjoy the road trip with the wonder of a child and get back from the trip more grown up and hopefully, with a greater appreciation of yourself, your travel buddies, your country, and the world in general. But don’t just take our word for it. Go on a road trip and experience it for yourself.

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*Featured Image: Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash