Blog #3: The Importance Of Trip Taking
Hi there Half Past Crew! I’ve missed talking with you. I hope your weekend so far has been FANTASTIC. Wherever you are, I hope the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all your worries have gone away. If only that were the case all the time, not having any worries or stress would be awesome, right?
I know for myself, this is a feeling I experience when I’m on vacation. An escape to a new world, rather, someplace that makes me super happy and I forget everything that’s going on back at home. Do YOU have a place like that? A place that gives you such peace and contentment and excitement that nothing else matters? I know that’s hard to find, and I didn’t understand how anyone ever experienced that feeling. Because for me, I never experienced the “vacation bliss” phenomenon until I went to, you guessed it, New York City. I love being busy in NYC. It’s fantastic actually. It’s such an iconic place that makes you feel like the main character in everything you do. Here’s what I love doing in NYC: content creation, exploring, meeting amazing people, and drinking coffee. Am I missing anything?
And you might be saying to yourself “Whaaaaaat? New York City?! That’s like THE busiest place in the world and it’s not a spot you can relax in!’. Trust, I get it. Believe me, I understand. But I think for me, that’s the issue: I. Hate. Relaxing. Why, you might ask? I don’t know, and truth be told, I can’t give you that answer. Maybe it’s a deep-rooted issue within myself that I love keeping busy. But WHY do I love keeping busy? What is being constantly busy distracting me from? If I chased my passions instead of taking what we all think is the SAFE route, would I feel differently? That’s pretty deep for Sunday at 7 am, or whenever you read this, really. And after all, New York City is the city that never sleeps, amiright?
Besides all my quarter-life crisis mumbo jumbo, I want to iterate the importance of actually TAKING trips, vacations, weekend getaways, etc. The average American only takes 17 PTO days a YEAR. A YEAR, guys. I googled that, I didn’t know that off the top of my head. But wow, doesn’t that put into perspective how little we truly value our time off? That’s BONKERS to me, truly. I don’t know if it’s an American thing or what, but man oh man do people here love to work and not take time for themselves. After traveling abroad to India, I experienced this shift IRL. Americans take work WAY too seriously, whereas other places don’t necessarily have that mindset. It’s nice. India quite literally changed my life, hence the inspiration to write this specific blog.
I am an individual who values experiences. I value traveling to new places, trying new things, and getting out of my comfort zone. Because that is where new memories and learnings are acquired. I want you to think about your favorite part of traveling. Is it exploring a new or familiar area? Are you a foodie like us and love trying new restaurants? Do you love exploring coffee shops? Is it going for a walk in a new place to discover the unknown?
Getting out of the house, out of your normal routine, is so, so good for you, I promise. STOP HABITUATING. It will spark creativity. It will inspire change. It will… be a LOT of fun. Unless for some reason you have to go somewhere you don’t like. Don’t do that. Every time Suketu and I fly to New York City (or any place for that matter, but most specifically NYC), we come back more excited, and more hungry for trips and new experiences. We want more. Is that greedy? Maybe. But we view travel as an investment in our marriage. It’s one thing to experience a new place yourself, but to go with someone you love? Now that’s a different story. Whether it’s a trip to a neighboring state, somewhere across the country, or somewhere across the world, I promise it’s a good idea. Just do it for yourself, please.
Let me know in the comments below where your favorite place to travel is, what you love about it, and your fondest memory of a trip you’ve been on <3
I’'ll see you next Sunday, at, Half Past… blog post :) love you guys.
