Living healthy is often portrayed as something that is expensive, costly and aggravating; constantly denied the little pleasures in life that make a difficult world a little more comfortable. For those who have experienced it, they are in the know of the truth. The truth is that while the layabout has sunken into the humdrum routine of work, home, and rest, they have inadvertently established a “cage” that confines both personal growth and wisdom. The choices we make every day to live healthy bring the simplistic love of self and love of life to a chaotic worldview. Living with respect to your mind and body WILL save you time, money and pain in the long run, no exceptions.

One of the most basic tenants in creating a healthy body and mind is to expand your horizons and reduce the stress that naturally builds up over a lifetime of routine and drudgery. Travel is the ideal solution for this task.  Many people find the idea of setting foot out of their own backyard an alien thought, and reject it for lack of money, effort, or curiosity. However those same people have rarely done the research to find what is truly within their means and interests.

There is a certain joy in accomplishing a new task or skill that pushes the boundaries beyond what had eluded us before, and traveling is no different to that feeling of expansion. The benefits of traveling are as wide as the world itself:

• Packing and preparing provide a feeling of euphoria that lets you put into perspective the trivial problems of the daily grind
• Traveling puts miles between you and the stresses in your life. Allow yourself to do what you want to do and find the peace that lets both mind and body rest.
• Whatever your destination, you will be encouraged to be active in order to fully engross yourself in a brand new culture.
• Sights, sounds, and flavors will sculpt a new memory that will last a lifetime and redefine who you are. The treasure that is a memory is something that can never be taken away.

There are many reasons we tell ourselves to avoid the vastness that is the world, but none of them amount to anything more than excuses to run away from the unknown. A personal favorite of mine is the island of Phuket in Thailand. Amazing cuisine, pristine sandy beaches, and a bustling nightlife combine the best of the tropics with the best of civilization. Hotels in Phuket range from budget friendly vacation packages to the extravagant tropical paradises of which dreams are made. Finding what’s right for your retreat has never been easier.