Escape Reality

Everyone is searching for an excuse to escape the realities of daily life. People are bored with their day-to-day lives; that’s why forms of entertainment like books are so popular. These offer us an opportunity to slip out of reality and embark on an adventure in a distant land, far from the comforts of our own homes. For those moments, life is an exciting journey wherever the pages take you, whether it is a great romance in the south of France or a tale of good against evil in a completely different world. These escapes are wonderful, but when the novel is over, the characters fade away. You can read them again and again but the characters are predictable, static. You can imagine what they might have done, or how they are in person, but you will never know. The problem is that the books we read aren’t real. They leave you wanting more when they are over. You yearn to slip into the pages and live among the characters. Obviously this isn’t possible, but don’t despair; there is a way to slide into an unfamiliar place and have your reality transformed into an exciting adventure.

The answer is to TRAVEL. The world is infinitely larger than our minds can imagine. There are billions of people roaming the Earth, each person with a unique story. There are so many different cultures and types of ways to live your life that traveling truly is like slipping between the pages of your favorite novel. There are mountains to climb, ancient wonders to discover, and incredible people to meet. The endless opportunities that traveling offers are just waiting out there for you to explore them.

Planning a trip can be daunting. There are so many locations that you could travel to, where do you start? Before you plan that huge trip, begin the process of spontaneous adventuring. Get off your couch, wake up early on a Saturday morning, and explore somewhere you have never been before. It doesn’t have to be somewhere extraordinary or far away, just somewhere new. Try to just explore anywhere that interests you. This could be hiking a new trail, visiting a new museum, finding a new restaurant, or just anything new. Once you get started, you will start to develop the travel bug, the constant itching for new exciting places. This will help propel you into planning your big trip.

When it comes to a big trip, try to find somewhere that interests you. That sounds like such an obvious statement, but it is the easiest way to narrow down a location. There are so many amazing places in the world, it is really difficult to choose somewhere “bad”. Don’t worry too much about your choice of destination; the important part is that it excites you and that you are going. Wherever you decide to go, you will broaden your horizons, experience a change in culture, and encounter incredible people.

Travel is more than an escape; it is a life changing experience. You never come back as the same person. As you travel, you inevitably learn a vast amount about yourself. You are forced to come out of your shell and boldly step forward into the great, unknown world. This is frightening sometimes but that’s why it is so rewarding. If it were easy it would be in your daily routine.

Close that book and go dive into your own adventure where you call the shots. Visit amazing places, try exotic foods, fall in love, have adventures. Live a life outside of your comfort zone. Look upon the world from a different perspective. Jump on a plane and just go somewhere new. If you are hesitant, or think that it may cost too much money, start somewhere close to home, maybe just a couple hours away for a weekend. The benefits of traveling are overwhelming and it is up to you to start now.

Tasting Paradise

Vacation is essentially a taste of what your life would be like if money weren’t an option. If you didn’t slave away five days a week to pay the rent, would you really be living in the same place doing the same thing you are now? It’s doubtful that you would be. Unfortunately, we all can’t live our lives as one big, lavish vacation; that’s reserved for movie stars.

However, there is something to be said for a vacation that leaves you begging for more. What was it about the trip that made you so happy? If it was just the fact that you were just away from work spending time with your family, then maybe you just enjoyed relaxing and having a break from the stresses of the daily grind. However, if it was the place you visited, or even something you did there that excited you, you might need to pay attention. This may mean that you need a change of scenery!

I firmly believe that a location and the scenery surrounding it can set the tone for someone to be happy. If this isn’t the case, then why do people on the beach flock to see the sun ceremoniously slide down over the ocean at the end of the day? It makes them happy to see such a beautiful sight. Living in a place that is beautiful would have a similar effect except it wouldn’t be as noticeable. You would be much more willing to go on a walk and you wouldn’t be as upset when the sun peaks through your blinds at 6:00 A.M. (whoever you are, you are extraordinary; I will never be happy waking up that early).

The culture of a place can be a strong draw as well. If you are coming from the city to a small, quaint North Carolina beach, it will seem as if time is standing still. Everything moves slower. People say hello to you on the street (as opposed to obscenities) and the most exciting thing to do is to go bum on the beach. If you are dead tired of the dynamics of a big city, a beach getaway could be your paradise.

If you go on vacation and have a lovely time, but at the end of your trip you dread going home, it is probably time to make a change. If you are dreading your daily life, the reality that most people are stuck in 48-49 weeks a year, it is definitely time to make a change. As cliche as it sounds, life is too short to be miserable for years at a time. Find some courage and hunt out a lifestyle that would make you happy. Maybe you’d like to be a beach bum, or live in the mountains in Colorado and go skiing all the time, or live in Iowa and own a corn field (it seems to be the thing to do there).

Whatever gets your wheels turning, go chase it. Life doesn’t have to be so miserable! It is really upsetting to think about how many people are desperately waiting for their vacation. Vacations should always be exciting because no matter how charming your reality is, it is nice to escape sometimes. But it should always be nice to snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity, oh there goes Rabbit… sorry, Eminem just grabs me sometimes.