This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org. I enjoy travel, especially when paired with an activity like biking, hiking or trekking. Though I almost always travel by myself, I’ve participated in around 20 group trips.
As an American I’ve learned that I prefer international trips organized by non-U.S. based companies for the reason that I meet, interact with and sometimes become good friends with people from varying backgrounds. On these kinds of excursions, I’m not just traveling around in an isolated American-influenced bubble (which is not an inherently bad thing; I just prefer the alternative). Research supports the idea that exposure to diverse cultures and people promotes personal growth and learning, which in turn, contributes to keeping your mind sharp and young. The possibility of stagnation and immobility (both mind and body) motivates me to embark on group trips, despite my introvert-influenced reluctance of meeting new people. I am not adept at navigating social situations nor am I ever “the life of the party” and yet, on all my group adventures, I’ve emerged with at least one new friend. Scattered across the world, these friends bring me comfort and joy. We stay in touch and plan subsequent trips together. I have a community not just confined to my own Manhattan neighborhood. It is large; it contains multitudes (to steal a phrase from Walt Whitman). Plus: Airports will see their busiest holiday travel season on record, AAA projectsWhat the science says An 80-year-old Harvard study confirmed that community, relationships and how happy we are in them influences our health as we grow older. As we age, many of us lose people (through death or otherwise) when, arguably, we nee …
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As an American I’ve learned that I prefer international trips organized by non-U.S. based companies for the reason that I meet, interact with and sometimes become good friends with people from varying backgrounds. On these kinds of excursions, I’m not just traveling around in an isolated American-influenced bubble (which is not an inherently bad thing; I just prefer the alternative). Research supports the idea that exposure to diverse cultures and people promotes personal growth and learning, which in turn, contributes to keeping your mind sharp and young. The possibility of stagnation and immobility (both mind and body) motivates me to embark on group trips, despite my introvert-influenced reluctance of meeting new people. I am not adept at navigating social situations nor am I ever “the life of the party” and yet, on all my group adventures, I’ve emerged with at least one new friend. Scattered across the world, these friends bring me comfort and joy. We stay in touch and plan subsequent trips together. I have a community not just confined to my own Manhattan neighborhood. It is large; it contains multitudes (to steal a phrase from Walt Whitman). Plus: Airports will see their busiest holiday travel season on record, AAA projectsWhat the science says An 80-year-old Harvard study confirmed that community, relationships and how happy we are in them influences our health as we grow older. As we age, many of us lose people (through death or otherwise) when, arguably, we nee …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]