Retirement Travel - Are you saving for it?
Don't think of travel as just another discretionary expense...consider it an investment in your health, happiness and future!
Just because you are retired from work doesn't mean that you need to retire from travel and creating new experiences. There are many reasons to include travel as part of your retirement (and pre-retirement) plans and just as many places that you'll be sure to want to see. And we will be there to help you every step of the way.
Below is a picture of Charlie and his mom, enjoying her retirement and the sights of Alaska, on a recent trip with a group of friends and family where we enjoyed celebrating anniversaries, birthdays and shared interests.
Travel encourages you to be more active. You hustle through the airport, drag your bags to the hotel, then walk around the streets, stroll through the museums, swim in the ocean or hike along mountain paths. Many of the activities you do on vacation involve physical exercise which lowers your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Need more proof? Many scientific studies have found that men and women who vacation at least twice a year enjoyed a significantly lower risk of hear disease than those who hardly ever took a break.
Travel offers social benefits. Travel can help you deepen relationships with family and friends and offer opportunities to meet new people as well. Group travel with friends from home or people brought together by a common interest helps build social ties which promote good mental health. In addition, travelers can hardly avoid being introduced to new people - often with different backgrounds and perspectives - and research shows that active social participation, especially later in life brings positive benefits for our emotional well-being.
There are cognitive rewards. You can go on an educational vacation or attend a week long class somewhere...but no matter where you travel, you will be meeting new people, navigating unfamiliar places and trying out different things...all activities that stimulate and challenge the brain. Travelers who search out different environments are exposed to unfamiliar cultures, which stretch their imaginations and forces them to consider new ways of thinking. The novelty of travel, especially the kind that involves navigating in unfamiliar territory, is a key to boosting your brain power and can lower the risk of dementia later in life.
It improves your mood and lowers your stress levels. Studies have shown that the majority of travelers (near 86%) said that travel improves their mood and outlook about life in general. And most respondents also agree that travel relieves stress and contributes to both physical and mental well-being. While many people are aware of the benefits of taking a vacation, they don't always appreciate that the effects of stress relief linger long after they get home. Retiree travelers are notably more likely than non-retirees to feel satisfied with their ability to get things done and maintain a positive outlook.
Factor travel into your retirement budget. If your budget is tight, challenge yourself to find ways to cut financial corners without shortchanging your experience. For example, you don't have to fly to far away vacation spots like Hawaii or Europe to reap the benefits (although we highly recommend them both). Most people report that their most rewarding trip are not necessarily to far-off destinations, but to places where they share the experience with family and friends. You can go on vacation during the off-season, take advantage of senior discounts, travel with a social club or alumni organization group or volunteer to help plan a trip with a group from church or your neighborhood.
