Five Reasons to Travel in Your Golden Years

Getting old isn’t a lot of fun. Not only do you have to deal with the stuff you expect, like more health issues, but you also have to deal with things you might not expect. For example, did you know that females pay 36-percent more money each year for a long-term insurance policy compared to a man simply because women are expected to live longer?

So what’s the cure to moving past all the bad stuff associated with getting older? Going on vacation! There are multiple reasons why you should take on the world in your 50’s, 60’s, and beyond.

It Keeps You Active and Healthy

It seemed like you could wake up with all the energy you needed when you were in your 20’s. Now that you’re older, finding the energy to take on daily tasks can be hard. It’s easy to adopt a sedentary lifestyle as a result, but that can be disastrous to your health. Instead, stay active and healthy by traveling the world!

Traveling can boost your health. For example,

• Men who go on vacation every year are over 30-percent less likely to die from heart disease.
• Some studies have found women who take regular vacations are less stressed and less likely to experience depression.
• Traveling forces you to move your body, keeping you more physically active.
• All the planning involved in traveling keeps your brain active and healthy.

You May Find a New Purpose in Life

Finding a purpose in life is a little bit easier when you’re young. You may find your purpose at work, while others find it when taking care of children. However, after you retire and your children have flown from the nest, you may find that your purpose is seriously lacking.

It’s important to find and maintain a purpose as we age. Not only does finding a purpose make you happier, it promotes healthy behaviors, and it is associated with better physical and mental health.

Traveling is not only fun, it can also provide you with a sense of purpose. Having new experiences and meeting new people can give you a vigor that will enhance your quality of life, and it has the potential to help you live longer.

You Finally Get to Do What You Want

Chances are, you were able to take at least some vacations when you were younger, but did you get to do what you want? If you were traveling with children, you probably planned vacations around what you think the kids would enjoy.

Now that the kids are off on their own, you can take a vacation and do whatever you want while you’re gone! Go to that boring museum, spend the entire day lounging on the beach, and return to your hotel room in the afternoon to take a nap. When you travel in your golden years, it’s all about doing whatever makes you happy!

You’ve Got a Little More Money to Spend

The cost of raising a child is astronomical, but you can’t blame it all on the kids. Younger workers make less money simply because they are less experienced. When you’re at the top of your game and the kids have moved out, you’ve got more money to spend. If you’ve planned your retirement well, you will continue to have money to spend without having to go to the office.

Why not spend it on great vacations! If you’ve got enough extra cash, consider paying for others to join you. Taking a vacation with adult children, siblings, and friends will provide you with memories you will never forget.

You’ve Got a Little Bit More Time

Much of our lives are spent doing what needs to be done. That means spending most of our time in the office, which leaves little time to do much of anything else. Then suddenly, when we retire, we have more time than we know what to do with. Don’t spend your extra time being bored, sitting in front of the TV. Go on vacation instead!

You’ll have a lot more time when you get older, especially if you are retired, which means you can vacation the way you want. Instead of taking just a few days or a week because that’s all you could afford to take away from the office, you can travel the country for a month or go on an adventure through Europe for three months.

Traveling isn’t just for the young and beautiful. There are many reasons why you should travel in your golden years!