“He that travels much knows much.” – Seventeenth-century English physician and writer Thomas Fuller
Travel allows us to get acquainted with people from other places, to learn about their customs and their way of life. Traveling in countries that have living standards lower than our own can teach us to be grateful for what we have and can awaken in us feelings of empathy for people less fortunate than ourselves.
Travel provides an opportunity to learn firsthand at least a little bit of a new language, to try out dishes that may delight our palate, or to enhance our family photograph album, slide collection, or video library with examples of the beauties around us.
Of course, to benefit the most, we must do more than just travel. The tourist who travels halfway around the world only to hole up in a hotel among fellow tourists—many of them his own countrymen—to swim at the hotel’s private pool or beach, and to eat the same food he has at home will learn little. What a pity!
So if you have occasion to travel, prepare for your trip. Read about your destination before you go. Plan what you want to see, and decide what you want to do.
Do not try to cram too much into your schedule and thus carry over the stress of everyday life into your vacation. Leave plenty of unplanned time for doing unexpected things. One of the real benefits of being on vacation is having time to think and meditate without the pressure of a tight schedule, feeling liberated from the stress and restrictions of living by the clock.
Yes, vacations can be most pleasant, even the best weeks of the year. No wonder children count the days till they arrive!
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