Holidays are a part of the year when we have the time to do whatever we want – read a book, go travelling with friends, or watch our favorite team play and bet online with the betsafe bonus. We also may consider what Americans call a ‘staycation’, or a stay-at-home holiday. There are benefits to this – finally getting around to binging Game of Thrones sans Season 8, tending to our garden, paying visits to family, and the like. However, I am going to discuss the benefits of travelling while on school break. Spoiler alert, it’s not just great for students, but the teachers and parents as well.
Learning a Language
If you go abroad, you are likely going to come across some people who do not speak English. This is a great way to start learning a new language or to polish your existing skills – immersion. Being surrounded by people who speak another language is a great way for you to pick up slang words, idioms, basic greetings, and the accent.
Learning a new language is great because it gives you a bit of insight into another person’s mindset. Are they very emotional, or is their language filled with polite expressions that should not be taken literally? Do they use a multitude of words when a couple would convey the message?
Cultural Enrichment
If you forego the tourist traps, you are likely going to experience some cultural enrichment. What does that mean? It means meeting people from a different part of the world who believe in different things, eat different food, have different customs, and different social interactions.
For example, the Japanese are really similar to British in terms of hospitality in that the hosts are expected to offer refreshments repeatedly, while the initial refusal of the visitor is a mark of good upbringing and modesty, but in other parts of the world you may need to be careful when politely refusing something because they might think you really mean it.
One of the things I personally enjoy when it comes to experiencing different cultures is a religious discussion, provided the person you are talking with is open to it, but, even more so, tasting a new kind of food. Again, it is important to avoid tourist traps and go for traditional dishes.
Why is meeting new cultures important? It makes us question what we know and accept as reality. We, meaning all humans, often take our own culture as the norm, since it is the one we grew up in. However, you may discover new things about relationships with friends, family, and others. You may see life, authority, animals, and countless other things in a different light.
Physical Activity
Travelling sometimes means going to the mountains or to the beach. In other words, being more physically active than you normally are during the school year. The great thing about it, besides the sense of adventure and the prevailing good mood, is the raised threshold of what you can and cannot do. If you are normally a couch potato, you may be tempted to continue working out, swimming, and hiking when you get back home, which can only do wonders for your body and mood.
Furthermore, I don’t need to tell you that with constant physical activities like swimming, the thing that goes hand-in-hand with feeling good is looking good. Of course, this is not something that can be achieved in a day or two. In fact, you may not be seeing the benefits for the first ten days, but you are definitely going to feel them.