By Zi Yuan Wong on January 2025
Prior to coming to the United States, traveling did not make sense to me as it seemed wasteful to spend large amounts of money visiting an unfamiliar place for such a short amount of time before coming back after running out of funds. Coming to the US for my studies, I thought of myself content staying in one place and finishing my degree before going back home. The thought of travelling for fun to somewhere far away never crossed my mind once, that is until recently.
Before the year ended, and after much convincing by my relatives, I decided to make use of my time to go for a weeklong vacation along the East Coast to visit Boston, New York and Washington DC, before coming back to Minnesota on Christmas day. Originally, I never imagined myself travelling alone to an unfamiliar place for a week with only my phone as a guide, but this is exactly what happened, and I found myself feeling much better.
Visiting historical landmarks, eating the local cuisine, and meeting new people from different parts of the globe, my journey has proved to be an invaluable one. It was during this journey that I realized the good that comes from travelling, especially in regard to improving my mental health, which has been running on fumes recently.
Travelling as a Stress Reliever
Travelling is known to be great at relieving a person’s stress, which I can attest that it has done wonders in clearing my mind of worries that have plagued me recently. During the trip, I became aware of my own mental baggage and while comfortable, staying alone in one place for long periods of time is mentally unhealthy, where negative thoughts are constantly hovering over me daily and leaving me exhausted.
Going on this vacation allowed me to de-stress by seeing new sights and socializing with different kinds of people, which made me realize that I have been living unhealthily by stretching myself mentally. This trip helped to rejuvenate myself mentally and I ended up happier for it.
Travelling as a Temporary Respite from Daily Troubles
In addition, travelling has allowed me to simply relax and temporarily detach myself from the daily grind which involved stress and loathing. My dread towards the grind has led me to constantly procrastinate on my current work, leaving it untouched and unfinished.
The trip gave me a brief escape from my responsibilities, allowing me to focus on things that I love, like visiting museums such as the Harvard Art Museum in Boston, historical sites like the National Mall in DC, and famous landmarks like Wall Street in New York. While work still needs to be finished when I return, I appreciate the short respite the trip brought me, which has lifted my spirits to prepare for the grind back home.
To be honest, I never expected myself to go on this week-long trip alone, but I somehow managed that and it turned out to be an unforgettable and enjoyable experience which I do not regret having. Despite some minor setbacks nearly derailing my schedule, I sorely needed to leave my mental baggage behind and just relax, and this vacation provided me with the means to do that. Being able to visit new places while eating good food provided some relief from the repetitiveness of daily life.
After going on this trip once, the next trip is now a possibility and no longer some wishful dream. Now that I am back home and more rejuvenated than ever before, I am clearer in terms of what I want to accomplish next, not to mention making plans for my next trip, which hopefully will come sooner rather than later.