Get Away For The Weekend

Fancy a weekend getaway?  Sick of the same old scenery day in and day out?  Sounds like you need to get away!

I can’t tell you how important this is for me.  I am someone who needs constant mental stimulation and when I travel there are areas of my brain that light up that are otherwise dormant.  It’s a great feeling.

When I lived in the Middle East, I jumped on every possible opportunity I had to travel.  And why not with Europe, Africa, and Asia so close!  It was nourishment for my soul and I realized just how much I truly love to travel.

Regardless of your love or disdain for traveling, I still think it’s healthy to get a change of pace and change of scenery every once in a while.  There are lots of 3-day weekends throughout the year and they are great opportunities to do some exploring close to home.  Go camping in a nearby park.  Visit your sibling living 2 hours away.  Plan a romantic getaway for you and your significant other.

The important thing is to leave home and breath fresh air, explore new areas, and experience different things.  You can pursue your hobbies, reconnect with nature or your significant other, eat different kinds of food, etc.  In my opinion, these experiences keep life fresh.  These weekends give you something to look forward to when life is in doldrums-mode.

The counter argument is to stay home and relax.  While staying home and relaxing requires less effort, money, and planning, I think the health benefits and sense of accomplishment after such trips offer far more nourishment for the soul.

It’s entirely possible that some of the fond memories you’ll think back to when you’re old will come from these getaway weekends.  New experiences bring new challenges, funny situations, and great stories.  My family has quite a few funny stories from our travels.  If yours doesn’t, then it’s time to hit the road!

I am sympathetic to the need to work within your budget, but these weekend getaways need not be extravagant.  Staying with friends out of town shouldn’t be expensive.  Camping is not expensive.  Day-trips to a nearby park are feasible and require no overnight stays, etc.  Get creative and work within your budget.  If you have $100 to work with, then maybe a day-trip or staying with friends makes the most sense.  If you have more to work with, then other opportunities are available.  It’s not about how much you have to spend though.  I have done most of my travels on a shoestring budget.  The greatness of your experience is by no means proportional to the amount of money you spend.

What about you?  Got a great weekend getaway story?  Please share it in the comments below!