Writing to you guys from Prague, I finally get to travel after three months! This trip has been quite rough, and our travel skills seem less polished, but I have been having such a good time. Finally, I get to travel again, which has always been my way of pausing and improving my mental health, so I thought I would touch on that topic today!

Traveling has significantly benefited me from a mental perspective. I find myself way happier and less stressed when I’m on the road, despite running across the airport to make the connection!

Perspective

Traveling absolutely helps people put their privilege into perspective. During my time in developing areas in countries such as Thailand, Kenya, and Guatemala, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of being able to serve the community by volunteering at after-school programs for malnourished kids, farms run by local villagers, and schools in need of funding. These experiences brought me perspective on the lives of everyone living in these rural landscapes. I saw firsthand the hunger experienced by the kids that ran around the school, and I saw the drying rivers that families walk miles to collect water from. I’ve learned a great appreciation for the easy access to clean water and healthy produce that I have in the Bay Area. Knowing that some kids are worrying about their next meal has helped shift my mindset when I feel like my world is going to end over trivial matters, which helps with the frustration when my WiFi is slow. Seeing the struggles some people deal with daily has helped me realize that there are more significant problems in the world than your friends not replying to your messages.

More time outside!

Being in a foreign country motivates me to get out of bed each morning, get some sunshine, and take in the fresh air, which greatly affects my mood and well-being! I think it helps to fight off the urge to be lazy and stagnant. I’m always excited to see and learn every aspect of the culture and better understand the people. It’s refreshing to have a change of pace, as each city has a different lifestyle and culture, and it’s eye-opening to learn how people live, from making fire out of elephant dung to having chocolate sprinkles on toast as a breakfast staple.

Missing family/friends

When I’m traveling, it’s usually just me, my mom, and the occasional tour group for the afternoon. My dad doesn’t travel with us often. Still, I get to text and call him and my friends pretty regularly, which helps when I’m feeling FOMO. On the flip side, while I miss my family and friends when I’m traveling, I spend less time overthinking every aspect of my friend’s texts or actions, and overall, I worry less!

Less stagnant

When I’m on the road, I realize how I’ve become stagnant at home. When I’m traveling, I thrive and make the most of every day with a purpose. It’s a fantastic feeling, but I realize how I easily fall into a sedentary lifestyle when I’m home. While each day at home is less packed and busy, I still find myself just as tired as if I were traveling to five countries in five weeks, plus a bit unhappy. Being at home can be just as tiring and maybe even a bit miserable from my experience. The pandemic is an excellent example of how being stagnant at home has affected mental health. There have been countless studies on the incline in depression since 2020, and I think being idle and repetitive plays a massive part in that. Traveling has been a great way to help me make the most of every day.

Well, I’ll be traveling back home soon, which is always a bittersweet moment as I cannot wait to see my family and friends, but I’ll also miss the castles and desserts and cobblestoned roads of Prague. Traveling is definitely a huge privilege, and it’s not as accessible to a lot of people, but you can still make the most of each day at home. I think it takes a bit more intention, but you can set challenges like finding a new restaurant each weekend, taking time at a park before the sunsets, or even hunting down a weird, unique ice cream flavor.