Benifits of Foreign Travel Essay

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the benefits of traveling to other cultures. Title:Another Life Thesis/Central Idea Sentence: It’s very important and beneficial to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, but few ever think to use traveling as a tool to assist in the restoration of all three. Introduction: [Attention Getter] Taking a vacation is on everybody’s to do list but according to a study conducted by the Families and Work Institute only about half of Americans use their full 2 weeks of vacation each year. Motivate audience to listen] I found this odd, but when I examined my own life I found I haven’t taken an actual vacation in over 10 years. [Credibility]It just something I’ve always seemed to brush off by saying â€Å"Oh well, I’ll just take a nice vacation next year, but the following year the same thing happens and before you realize it you haven’t had a vacation in over a decade. Europeans embrace this idea of vacation almost religiously. In Europe vacations are guaranteed by law. In countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, employers are required to provide up to 20 days of paid leave. Americans, on the other hand, get an average of 12 days every year and on average use about half. [Central Idea] It’s important to remember that we are not machines and that we can and do become burnt out. When this happens it can affect everything from our productivity in the work place to our personal relationships with our spouse, children, friends, and family. Depression can become a real side effect and take control of a life we once loved. So it is important to catch a break from our everyday life and take time to â€Å"Stop and smell the roses† (Unknown). Travelling to foreign cultures is just one way to experience different thoughts and ideals for dealing with day to day life. [Preview of points]While many Americans realize the importance of staying fit by exercising it is way more important and beneficial for healthier, happier living to understand that staying fit means more than lifting weights or going for a run, but working out our bodies, our minds, and our spirit in order to live a true healthier life style. Transition Sentence: So let’s begin by discussing the physical benefits of foreign travel. Body: I. First and most obvious there will be a few physical benefits from foreign travel that will be very noticeable from the very first day. A. Walking 1. Whether you vacation in Europe or Asia it really doesn’t matter so long as you get away from America or Canada. Everyone else in the entire worlds seems to walk everywhere. This may sound scary for those who haven’t seen the inside of a gym in a while or in some cases ever, but after awhile you won’t even notice how much you’ve walked. You’ll become so immersed in all that you’re seeing and experiencing that it’s not until you return to your room at night or until you sit for a while that you begin to notice that both you’re feet now have a pulse. 2. The second sounds a bit unbelievable, but after a few days of walking around and once I begin to recognize the landscape. I usually have made a few friends with some of the locals even if I don’t speak the language. There is a lot than can be said with hands, faces and a smile, but once this happens I can’t help but to begin to feel like this could be my second home. B. Food 1. While Europe and Asia do have fast food franchises most will opt out in order to experience more of the culture being visited. This is very true especially if you’re a fan of the food back home. In my case nothing beats authentic Spanish Paella or Italian anything. But in most cases you’ll be eating a bit healthier while visiting and may not even notice. Most food around the world is not processed like it is here in the states. Don’t get me wrong Wendy’s and McDonalds can be pretty delicious, but I’d rather eat real food everyday; I just can’t cook as well as those guys in Italy or even the guys Olive Garden for that matter. . Throughout the day you may dabble in a few different wines, but for the most part you’ll find water to be the beverage of choice. Unless, you’re a beer or soda connoisseur wishing to try some of the local but undiscovered to â€Å"you† refreshments. Towards the end of the day you may finish a bottle or two of wine, but in your defense†¦ One, you’re in a new country representing America and you wouldn’t want to be rude. Two, wine itself in reasonable quantities is actually good for the blood stream therefore good for your heart so â€Å"BAME, Double Whammy†! Three, what better way to socialize with locals or other fellow tourist than over a couple glasses of wine or beer under a star lit canopy dinning â€Å"Alfresco†? II. Next we will discuss a couple of the mental benefits that you will become aware of throughout the trip. A. So, First in order to begin this awesome adventure it is absolutely crucial to learn this one lesson about vacation otherwise you should’ve stayed home and burnt every dollar you spent for this trip. So here is the first mental benefit of going on vacation. It’s learning how to actually take a vacation! The very first thing we must learn is actually the most difficult we must be honest and true to ourselves that we are on vacation for the sake of nothing more than our own well being and revitalization. With that being said we must let go of our old lives if only for the week or two we are on vacation. 1. So first, it’s absolutely important not to work, discuss work or think about work even as a second thought. Your life back home is on pause until you return. 2. Second sever any and all easily available ties to your life back home. Of course if you have children and have to check on them that is an exception, but leave your cell phone, laptop and tablet, PDA, pager in your room. Give the number to the front desk to anyone back home in case of emergency. There is always someone at the front desk and you never have to worry about reception. 3. The first two steps is to ensure that your mind receives the break it deserves from normal life. B. So now that you have accepted the fact that you’re on vacation and are enjoying or not enjoying all this walking. You will definitely notice things that are different; compared to home. 1. Your mind will definitely become broadened by every one of your senses. As every sense becomes titillated each sensation will become forever locked in your memory and you may notice to compare a lot what you experience to something similar back home. 2. As each day passes you may begin to see how differently other cultures deal with life problems. I mean everyone around the world has to deal with work problems, relationships, and out of control children, but its how we deal with them that tends to get the better of us. You may take a few notes just by watching how people just seem to not sweat the small things in Europe and Asia. It seems to me they as we as Americans live to work, the rest of the planet works just enough to live. Perhaps that’s why they get more vacation and work less hours. When was the last time an American labor force took a siesta? III. Finally we will discuss the spiritual benefits that come from foreign travel. A. First off, I must make myself clear that when I use the word spiritual I do so in a general sense of the word. I do not mean to use it in direct connection towards any God or religion. While most people do believe in a supreme being of some kind some believe in science or no God at all, but regardless of what we believe we all have a sense of self therefore we all have a sort of spirit. 1. A very possible but unlikely event of spiritual revitalization is the adaptation of religion. 2. A more likely form of spiritual revitalization may perhaps come from the peace and tranquility that one may find while visiting a spa or in a quiet location away from everything. 3. Once a peace has been given to the spirit, you will become refreshed and ready to continue with life annoying little problems but after a while you will become more aware of when you need a break. Transition Sentence: So let takes one last quick look at all we have covered today. Conclusion: We now know that a vacation is a lot more than time away from work. We have discussed the three parts of us that benefit from vacation the physical, mental and spiritual and the importance of keeping all three areas in shape in order to obtain a more happy existence.