As the all time great Jay-Z so eloquently put it:

Men Lie, Women Lie, Numbers Don’t.

At any give time you will find me quoting somebody’s rap lyrics or movie line. Really if you think about it though, it’s a very accurate statement. Everyone lies, some more then others, but I think you get my point. However, with numbers, we can count on the consistency. I’m a numbers gal, so I can appreciate consistency.

When will 2+2 ever be 5 ?

We even use them to prove our point. After all there is power in numbers, right? So I figure if travel is not a priority already, here are some numbers  as to why it should be…

 5 Reasons Why Traveling Should Be a Priority

1. Jobs

We can all benefit from more jobs. That’s why it’s number 1 on my list.

• • • Travel is the 7th largest employer in the private sector
    • It’s responsible for a little over 15 million American Jobs, rather directly or indirectly
    • 1 in 9 of American Jobs in the private sector is supported by travel

Travel is driven by you, me, and everyone else who participates. So consider it your economic duty to travel.

Did you know? The $$  you spend abroad is considered a Travel Import… And $$ spent by International Visitors here in the US is considered a Travel Export 

2. Healthier

So now that we have solved America’s economic crisis (not really but it’s start), lets move on to a more healthier reason. Studies have shown, traveling increases your chances of a healthy living!!! 

• • • Women who vacation 2x’s a year show a lower risk of a heart attack than women who only travel every every 6 yrs
    • For men who do not travel annual, there’s a 30% increase of heart disease.

“A vacation a day, will take the heart attack away”

3. Stress

I think one thing we can ALL agree on is Stress Kills!! It is one of the leading causes of death in America bringing alone the rest of the family like:

• • • heart attack,
    • diabetes,
    • heart disease,
    • the common cold,

Just being able to take a break away from those “stressors in life” slows the aging process and can be used as a antidote to some of life’s ailments. That’s probably why 93% of Americans reported they feel happier after taking a vacation (obviously, right?). 82% believed they need a vacation even more during economic times.

4. Brain Health

Cognitive skills are those core skills your brain uses to do those simple things like:  read, learn, think, reason, pay attention, and remember. Can you think of a time when all of those things happen at once??? Yep… Traveling

Those skills kick into over drive when your somewhere different. Think about it? Anytime we’re somewhere new, we forced to pay attention and even adapt in some situations. I mean really…..

“You have to keep your head on the swivel” 

New smells, different languages, new foods, new surroundings, all of those things allow the brain synapses (nerve cells) to start firing and that tends to lead to creativity and inspiration. There’s a much deeper learning when you submerge yourself in a culture different from your own. Get those synapses firing (while snapping my fingers) and go somewhere Outlier!

“Travel is good medicine. Because it challenges the brain with new and different experiences and environments, it is an important behavior that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan.”

Dr. Paul D. Nussbaum, PH.D, ABPP

5. Self care

Simply put you deserve it. Studies show when surveyed, 100% feel like they need a vacation.

Thoughts to myself like:

We worry about so many things that are beyond our control (something I’m working on myself), being able to just press pause, and leave your troubles behind could lead to a better lifestyle. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t, and I like the odds traveling have. Who knows, you’ll probably come back with a better approach to whatever problem you were experiencing and it’ll be water under the bridge.

As Always,

Dream. Travel. Live Repeat.