Travel vs. Material Possessions: What Truly Enriches Life?
Introduction
Physical or material possessions are necessities of life that provide a sense of security or comfort. Travel experiences, on the other hand, give you a lifetime of happy memories, adventure, and mystique. If you had to choose between acquiring a very expensive, limited-edition watch or a trip with your best friends (whom you have not met for ages), which would you choose?
The preconceived notion that material possessions give lifelong happiness is often short-lived. Yes, material possessions give us a certain luxury and boost our ego, but they will soon be outdated with the launch of the newer edition. Over some time, these material possessions bore us or will need to be repaired, become obsolete, or need to be discarded.
Also, with the passage of time, our own thoughts undergo a transformation and we tend to seek travel experiences rather than material possessions. At one point in time, you will feel more inclined to live your life in totality rather than hiding behind the façade of material possessions.
The value of travel experiences
Travel experiences enrich us and teach us valuable life lessons. Let us see how:
- Long lasting: Travel experiences last a lifetime and we can relive them as and when we desire. We can always embark on another adventurous trip with our best friends, and revel in the same.
- Happiness: Travel experiences give us lifelong happiness. When you recall the trip, your eyes will light up, you will smile and laugh at the memory. The joy feel will put you in a better mood.
- Stress buster: Travel experiences are great stress busters. When you feel stressed or unhappy, just thinking about them will lower your stress and you will feel relaxed. You can reduce your stress by taking a short weekend trip, to relax and recharge. Sometimes impromptu is so much more fruitful than planned getaways.
- Confidence: Travel experiences boost our confidence immensely. E.g. you are going on a solo trip for the first time and you feel butterflies in your stomach, a bit nervous and a bit fearful of travelling alone. There is a first time for everything – and you will ace your solo trip. Believe me, you will return from your solo trip, all charged up and full of ideas for your next solo trip.
- Knowledge: Travel experiences are very knowledgeable. They teach us about the culture, values, people, customs, and traditions of the place that we are visiting. You may even learn the local dialect and become proficient in it. After all, learning new things enhances our life experiences.
- Social: Travel experiences make us more social and outgoing. We learn how to strike up conversations with the locals/strangers we meet en route. A bit of effort is all that is required. After all, worst-case scenario, someone will give you the wrong directions. Big deal! Someone else will show you the correct way. Problem solved. No need to get hyper about it. What is life, if not a risk taken now and then?
- Freedom: Travel experiences give us the freedom to be ourselves, without the packaging of responsibility. You can just be yourself, laugh if you want to, dance if you want to, shout if you want to; no one is judging you. Let go and enjoy your time.
- Energy: Travel experiences give us a burst of energy. The excitement, the mystique, the adventure, all energize us and make us active. There are so many places to see, activities to participate in, and people to meet, that our batteries are supercharged.
- Mood: Travel experiences boost our mood and relax us. We find it difficult to let the smile leave our faces. 😊
- Psychologically proven: It has been psychologically proven. A 20-year study conducted by Dr. Thomas Gilovich of Cornell University shows that travel experiences (purchasing trips) or other experiences cause greater happiness than acquiring material possessions. True that.
- Memories: Travel experiences give us lifelong memories to cherish as long as we live. Over time, these memories grow and we revel in them. Of course, we can always take another solo trip to make more memories, right?
- Overcome fear: Travel experiences make us overcome our fears be it fear of travel (for those who rarely travel), fear of the unknown, fear of getting lost, fear of inadequacy (when you speak the local language for the first time), fear of living in the accommodation alone (you have never stayed alone), fear that someone will come knocking at your door (baseless, as you are in a safe, populated abode) etc. etc. It is all over-thinking, just relax and will be great.
Research
New research by the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, shows that consumers are happier when they spend on experiential experiences rather than material possessions. A paper called “Spending on Doing Promotes More Moment-to-Moment Happiness than Spending on Having,” highlighting the same, was published in the May 2020 edition of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Value of material possessions
Let us see the value of material possessions so we can understand the concept of the value of travel experiences.
- Status symbol: Some material possessions are seen as status symbols, whether we require them or not. We buy them because they are trending and we can show them off.
- Temporary gratification: Material possessions provide temporary gratification. We soon tire of them and forget about them, as soon as a new item comes to the market.
- Impermanence: Material possessions are not permanent fixtures in our lives. Over time, they need repairs or replacement.
Nothing lasts forever, other than memories!
For people who do not travel frequently, plan, book those tickets, and take off. A wondrous journey awaits you. Most of your life is spent earning money, buying material possessions on EMI’s and working harder to pay those EMI’s. Where is the enjoyment in working like there is no tomorrow? What are you achieving by sitting at your desk and slaving away, other than a pot belly, lifestyle-related illnesses, no social life, and no family life? Is this benefitting you in any way?
When it is your last day on Earth, do you want all these images to flash before your eyes? The stress, the EMIs, the mortgages, the illnesses? Or would you rather want to see your first solo trip and the adventures you had? Choose, but choose wisely.
The clock is ticking, do you choose to embark on a travel experience or pick up the phone and order the latest model mobile phone online? Mind you, the next version of that same mobile is going to be marketed in a couple of months. Which is the better bargain? Decide.
