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Why Traveling Down The Road Felt Like Going A Million Miles Away

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a wooden stairs leading to a beach

Why Traveling Down The Road Felt Like Going A Million Miles Away

I am back! Back from where? Back from vacation, that is where 😁. Many of you probably didn’t notice my absence this past week but if you listen to the podcast you know I was off.  Off to where you ask? Only a little over an hour away from home, but it felt like a million miles away. I wrote about the booking a few weeks back and how I was able to get the price down to around half off.  Trust me, it was worth every penny!

a beach with a dock and a tree

You Don’t Have To Go Far To “Get Away”

I think the thing I miss most about travel is the escape it offers.  Checking out new areas, countries and cultures are a huge part of the joy of travel, for sure.  Flying up front in the plane and staying at swanky hotels isn’t too terrible either.  But, the thing I enjoy most is turning off the brain for a bit and just being in the moment. It comes more naturally for me when I am in a new environment and it is something I am sure many of you are longing for as well.

That is a big reason why we booked this trip.  We could have taken a day trip to the beach and saved a lot of money.  It would have brought a little reprieve, and broken up the mundane some, but it wouldn’t have moved the needle enough.  We needed a clean break from every day life.  A life that is more repetitive and draining than ever because of its current limitations.

That is exactly what we got too.  We got a chance to refresh and hit the reset button.  The stress of every day life melted away and we were left with smiles and laughs, two things in short supply these days.

a living room with a couch and a staircase

A Need To Reconnect Even If You See Each Other Every Day

Another big perk of this trip was it let us all reconnect. My sister came up with her family too so we got to see them for the first time in over 6 months as well.

It seems strange to say we got to reconnect when we have seen each other for more consecutive days then we have in years. But, it is true. Being on top of each other every day doesn’t always lead to the best connection among people.  Patterns emerge, patterns that drive each other crazy and it feels like there is no end in sight.  Tempers flare and fuses become shorter and shorter.  Going on this trip was like hitting a reset button, even though we were still with each other the entire time.

a person standing in the water

I think it is the change of scenery, the break from the norm and the excitement of something new that does it.  All of those things combined lead to a refilling of the batteries so to speak.  We all came home in a better place and with our fuses a little longer.

a green bush next to a beach

Final Thoughts

Many of us are still not performing normal travel activities, even if the travel numbers continue to rise.  You may not feel comfortable even heading to a hotel, mainly because you are not sure what to expect.  I totally understand that, but it doesn’t mean that all travel has to end.  We are all still looking for that travel escape, we may just need to break from our norm to achieve it.

Our family normally heads “up north” each year but we never rent a house.  Even though it went against our norm, this was the best move for us in 2020.  It allowed us space to spread out, a chance to prepare our own food or eat takeout plus it offered the change of scenery we needed.  Having the beach all to ourselves didn’t hurt either!

If you are in a rut, like we were, then I encourage you to think a little outside your normal box. Consider tent camping, renting an RV or camper, renting a house by the beach or in the mountains etc.  There are still options available to us that can give you a similar reprieve you would get from going to Paris or Hong Kong.  Remember, close to home can still feel like a million miles away.

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Mark Ostermann
Mark Ostermann
Mark Ostermann is a father, husband and miles/points fanatic. He left the corporate world after starting a family in order to be a stay at home dad. Mark is constantly looking at ways to save money and stay within budget while also taking awesome vacations with his family. When he isn't caring for his family or taking a weekend trip, Mark is working towards his goal of visiting every Major League Baseball ballpark.

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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