Vacations are big deals. They’re a time of your life that you can really kick back and relax, and then get up to all sorts of different activities, and stay out for as long as you want in a city you’re desperate to explore, until the hotel calls for a curfew on you! It’s a time of the year we always look forward to, whether we’re jetting off to the other side of the world or we’re staying at home and opting for various day trips, and it’s something we could do with a little more of our in lives.
And because of that, a lot of us are looking to make our vacations longer, especially in the face of spending the other 300+ days working as hard as we can. But there’s still some naysayers out there: why do we need longer vacations, when we have weekends and national holidays to enjoy anyway?
Well, let’s examine just a few of the reasons we should absolutely be going out for longer vacations. If you’re in the mood to book a vacation for later on in the year, let’s give you plenty of time to book some extra time off for it as well! Read on for those details you’ve been searching for.
Because You Really Need the Time!
Humans need to take time for themselves, there’s no getting around that. Sure, you might be a very social person, and you’re the life and soul of the party when there’s one on, but you still need to be able to be alone from time to time. You need to have that period where you can draw back and recharge, and allow yourself to rejuvenate and come back fresh faced and stronger than ever. And when you go on vacation, you do just that for yourself, and in the best way possible!
You get a complete change of scenery: new weather, new environments, new people, new bed to sleep in etc., and you feel much better for it. Maybe you worry every now and then about what’s going on back home, but those feelings are fleeting, and you’re able to live in the moment much more successfully. And your brain and body clearly thank you for it, if the way you glow when you come back again is any indication.
So if you had more time out there to enjoy yourself, and try new things, and set yourself a precedent for what really matters in life, it only follows that you’re going to be feeling a lot better in yourself and about your life. A lot of people don’t cope very well with the pressure the societies at home can put on us, and jet setting away is the best opportunity to remedy this.
Why not give yourself two weeks instead of one, or a whole month instead of the two weeks you usually never stray from? If you have more time to experience a different place and a different culture, you start to learn things about your own life. And when you come home again, you can make some changes that’ll really make you happy.
You’ll Have a Home Away From Home
Let’s face it, we all need a break from home life from time to time. Sure, your house is your private little haven, and it’s your own little world you can always retreat back to when the outside world gets a bit too much. But when you think about, the place you live in can become stale and boring, and you might be going a bit stir crazy in those same four walls you were staring at 10 years ago!
Decorate as much as you like, buy new furniture, bring new people into your home; these can all be great solutions to switch your living arrangements up a little. But we’re looking for some real results here that’ll benefit your life tremendously. Which is why it’d be a good idea for you to really invest in making your vacations longer, and even consider setting down some roots in another town, city, or country.
After all, if you put the time and money into trying to purchase or rent a holiday home, or you make some friends in another part of the world who you can ask to stay with when the fancy takes you, you’re always going to have a way out. And ultimately, you’ll be able to make yourself a home away from home.
So whether you’re looking for a condo for rent singapore near mrt, or you’ve just got a few family members who recently moved to somewhere like Spain or France, make sure you’re actively engaging in these markets. If you’ve got a place to retreat to, you’ve got a place that’ll allow you to take a longer vacation; you could even start working out there one day, if you like it enough!
Because You Want to Explore
Exploring is something we all love to do. As kids we got up to all kinds of trouble, and made a lot of mess, simply because we were exploring these huge environments around us, and we wanted to have fun in them. But now, as adults, we’ve grown out of these environments, and the town and the home you live in can seem really quite small as a result.
Which is why so many of us in our early twenties and late thirties are feeling the need to go out there and do something. We want to see more of the world, and we never want to stop moving – we still have all the energy and curiosity we did when we were kids, but we have the independence and the resources to do something with them now! So if you’re getting a bit wanderlusty in your day job and your day to day life, you’re going to need to take a break, pure and simple.
But you need the right amount of time on your side to properly explore. There’s a lot of world out there, and you can’t cover a whole country in 4 to 7 days; you might be able to squeeze the south coast of Iceland in during that time but no promises here. Instead, you’re going to need a good couple of weeks on your side at least, and often enough, that’ll only take you properly through the city you’re arrived in.
You’ll be able to dip in and out of the restaurants you’re slowly calling your favorites, and you’ll be able to find the nearby forests and national parks that have the most in the way of natural wonders to offer you. You’ll even be able to get to know the public transport system, and that’ll put you in a great position with your sore walking legs!
So, Can You Make Your Vacations Longer?
Sure, it might not be realistic for you to book a couple weeks out of your usual lifestyle every other month or so, but you can save up a good portion of time at the beginning, middle, or end of the year. Put this time to good use, and get out there in the big wide world!
Have a long vacation, have fun on your vacation, and make sure you leave satisfied and sated for the time being. After all, your wanderlust will come back, but at least you’ll be experienced at dealing with it next time!
Bonnie is always on the road with some amazing adventures ahead. Her favorite continent is South America and she’s passionate about culture-focused traveling and ethical and sustainable tourism. During her time in university as a research assistant for a sociology professor, she realized she can’t fully understand cultures from a safe distance. She quit her job to become a full-time “voluntourist,” which brings her to places where she can immerse in local communities and support their causes. On top of writing, one of Bonnie’s priorities is offering women advice on how to stay safe while solo backpacking.