When I first began traveling for work, I struggled to get to grips with the chaos that ensued. I would find myself stressing out at the slightest thing, as I strived for perfection and routine on every visit I took.

I initially saw traveling for work as a chore and could not see anything fun about having to pack up at the last minute and fly to the other side of the country for what would most likely be just a day’s work, if that.

However, though it may have taken a few trips to get used to traveling, there came a day when I realized that I was beginning to enjoy traveling. In short, it had become fun!

If you find yourself thinking of traveling as a chore like I once did, there are several ways that you can turn that association around and make it into a fun way to spend your time instead:

Use This Time Away from Home to Gain Appreciation

There’s no doubt in my mind that each time I travel, I gain a better appreciation of what I have in my life, with my home and my family being top of my list here.

I now don’t see returning home as a chore, as it once did when I had finally got into the swing of having fun in a new place then having to stop and come home. Instead, I bring back some incredible fun-filled memories with me and share them with my nearest and dearest.

Traveling Encourages You to Make New Friends

One of the most significant achievements I have made through traveling extensively is that of making new friends. My friend’s list has grown tremendously, and it wasn’t created virtually for I have met and socialized in real time with these particular friends!

What more fun could you have than to meet so many different people living in entirely different circumstances than your own?

Traveling Actually Gives You Back Some You Time

One thing that surprised me very early on was how when you travel, you get to make the most of various snippets of free time that present themselves throughout your trip. From waiting at the airport to sitting quietly on the plane, I find I have more chances to stop and zone out when I travel than when I work back near my home!

You Can Learn So Much from Traveling

I now make it a priority to ensure that I learn at least one new thing from every city or country that I find myself in when I travel. I was told some time back that when we open ourselves up to such new experiences, we automatically create a sense of fun surrounding our traveling time. This is especially so if you are learning a new skill or role which you find interesting.

I am also able to apply what I have learned from traveling in my everyday life when back home, thus increasing my vacation experience even when performing those regular monotonous chores!

Traveling Helps with My Writing

As a Journalist, I have no doubt that traveling inspires me and therefore boosts my creative side. I get to see so many places and meet so many wonderful new people at the same time as seeing how other people live. It has only served to open my mind and see things from not just many other perspectives, but in a different light than ever before.

I regularly find that once I’m settled back on the plane, boat or train heading for the journey home, I get a massive surge of inspiration created by the place I have left behind on my travels. This, in turn, means I have a wealth of topics on hand when it comes to writing up my work when back home at my desk!

Traveling Helps with My Photography

As with encouraging me to be a better writer, traveling also allows me to make the most of my photography skills and provides an abundance of landscapes and scenes for me to take endless amounts of photos. I have been able to make more use of photography techniques since traveling further afield, and I have seen my overall confidence as a photographer soar since staring my travels.

I Am a Much More Interesting Person Because of Traveling

Okay, so I may have always been an exciting type of person beforehand, but once I began traveling, I noticed that I could hold a better and more confident conversation with others, as I began to amass a considerable amount of travel stories to tell others.

I now find myself being used as the person to go to when you want to find out about the best cities and countries or merely request a recommendation for some fun-filled activities to take part in when traveling! This is something that I feel able to do now with both pleasure and pride.