​ Travel can be used to break free from reality. Even if just for a moment, it can make life feel nearly perfect. Because of that, using travel to escape your problems is a really easy habit to fall into.

But the good news is that travel can be used to solve your problems just as easily. The even better news is that you have to escape your problems before you can solve them. So, what does this mean?

Well, imagine you have just come back from an epic trip where all you did was meet the most amazing people and go on the most spectacular adventures. I’m talking about hiking through a rainforest, swimming with dolphins, and laughing with others all night long.
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Having the Travel Blues

And now imagine returning back home where you hate your boss, your friends just don’t get you like the travelers do, and your days are filled with work and bills. The problems that you were once accustomed to now seem ten times worse, right?
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Some people label this as the travel blues. It’s the depressing feeling you get after you return back from a trip, because your life just can’t compare to a month or so of crazy good times. Some people’s first instinct when this happens is to just to start planning their next trip. Then every time they have to deal with a problem, they just look ahead to the trip they’re about to go on.

But this is the wrong approach. By doing this, you are just continuing to run away from your problems.
Now that you know how epic life can be after going on your awesome trip, you need to strive to create a life you do not need a vacation from.
This sounds nearly impossible though, right?
What person has a life to where they never feel the urge to travel or take a vacation from? We are accustomed to a mindset that a person always has to work to survive.

Tips on Improving Your Life

Well, the goal is not to completely strip your life of stress. The goal is to recognize what aspects of your life need improvement and then using full force to make it happen. This is easier said than done though, right?
Definitely. It was a struggle for me.

I had the worst case of travel blues when I came back from a month in Hawaii. It was as though I didn’t know how to be a part of the society I had left behind anymore.
 
I originally left for Hawaii after a breakup, and I used travel to get over my ex-boyfriend. But that’s not all I used it for. I used it to escape my whole reality in back home.
I got away from my mom, who is very overprotective and has a tendency to hover over me. I got away from my university where the material is dull, and the teachers still believe in homework. I escaped a restaurant job where negative reinforcement is the managing strategy. I got away from all the stress that came from juggling all of these issues PLUS two internships.

I escaped it all, and it was amazing. Too amazing in fact, because when I got back, the depression hit me hard. When I returned to my life back home, I found myself on the phone crying to the man I thought I was over. I could suddenly no longer endure the tight hold my mother had on me. My job became unbearable. I started slacking in school, and I quit both my internships.

How I did it? How I got over all these Issues?

 I didn’t get over this by planning my next trip, though. I got over it by realizing I had to change my life. And it was traveling that gave me the confidence, motivation, and perspective to do so.
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First, I did have to escape my problems using travel. I had to get away from my life back home before I could discover what I truly wanted in life. I had to leave it all behind before I could reflect on what was putting a damper on my life.

I had to initially take a step back from my problems to understand what true happiness felt like.
I didn’t realize people actually had lives that they loved. Then I met people who truly LIVED–skydivers from Hawaii and dive masters from Australia, and realized a happy life where every aspect of your day is awesome IS possible.

It made me crave a life like that, and that was all the motivation I needed.

Travelling Solo

Because I traveled solo and overcame challenges by myself, I had the confidence to actually make it happen. But even if you don’t attempt solo travel, traveling with other people can give a person confidence as well. You might still have to deal with a language barrier or at the very least, learn how to interact in a whole new environment. When you conquer challenges like these, you’ll be fueled by confidence and increase your self-worth.
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So how did I change my life?

Well I’m still in the process of doing so, but it is happening slowly but surely. I took three major, initial steps to increase my quality of life.

• I decided that instead of using the $1,000 I save a month on traveling, I need to prioritize my mental health and move out. Don’t get me wrong, having an overprotective mom is not the most dreadful thing, but it can be stressful when you are constantly treated like a child.
• I also drifted away from the people who brought negative energy into my life. They didn’t necessarily make my life negative, but also did not offer any positive energy into my life. If they complained too much, consistently made bad decisions despite my efforts to help them, or just simply didn’t radiate positivity and ambition, I saw no reason to surround myself with them. When I eliminated them from my life, I quickly began to attract people into my life that were on a path to success as well, and who wanted to exchange positive energy, ideas, and success with each other.
• Lastly, I made a big leap when I decided that I want to be an entrepreneur and start a solo traveling company instead of following a relatively safe career in journalism. I know that, for me, happiness is not created in a cubicle. I know that happiness happens when you actually discover your dreams and create a path to reach your goals.
  
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This is kind of drastic though, right?

Well, do you want to feel euphoric just while you’re traveling or throughout your whole life?
You do not necessarily have to make your changes that extreme, but think about what it is about your life that you’re not happy with it, and ask yourself if you’re going to be okay if that’s your reality forever.

Some people have the mentality that their reality is just temporary, and that things will change. ‘I’ll get a promotion soon, and then things will get better.’ ‘My partner and I are just going through a hard time. Things will get better.’ ‘School is hard right now, but my classes will get easier.’

The secret is to stop waiting and start acting. You have to create your own reality. No one is going to do it for you. Nothing will change unless you go out and change it.

You need to attack your problems continuously, never stop following your dreams, and increase your life’s value. Use traveling as an outlet to step back and reflect on your issues, do a little self-discovery, gain new perspectives, and obtain the motivation and confidence to make the necessary steps to change your life.

Post by Angella Grey, the marketing manager at The Vacation Rentals Experts – an online and offline digital marketing agency that creates marketing solutions for vacation rentals, holiday homes and brands.
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