Why Choose Adventure Travel? [Podcast Ep. 7]

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Listen to This Podcast Episode About Adventure Travel and Its Rewards

Welcome to the show notes for this episode of Tick It Before You Kick It! 🎙️

If you’re a fan of travel tales and putting together epic adventure bucket lists, then you’re in the right place. Our podcast is all about sharing the thrills, chills, and spills from our journeys around the globe.

This week, we’re diving deep into the world of adventure travel and exploring all the incredible benefits that come with it.

There is a plethora of benefits just waiting to change your life if you choose to adventure travel. Let’s talk about it!

In this Episode…

• All the benefits that I have personally experiences by adventure traveling.
• Some short stories about how I’ve grown by going on adventures.
• How adventure travel can truly change your life.

Important Parts in the Show

• 1:03 – All Travel is Awesome
• 1:33 – Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
• 2:31 – Get Fit While Adventure Traveling
• 4:20 – Adventure Travel Broadens the Mind
• 5:03 – Travel University is the Best Teacher
• 5:45 – Technology Detox During Adventure Travel
• 6:40 – Stress Reduction with Adventure Travel
• 7:46 – Adventure Travel Makes Your Brain Happy
• 8:21 – Let’s Get Sustainable!
• 9:47 – Survival Skills
• 11:06 – Experiential Tourism and Adventure Travel
• 12:03 – Let’s Make Some Friends
• 12:34 – Enhanced Problem Solving While Adventure Traveling
• 13:24 – Bring on the Epic Adventure Travel Stories
• 13:53 – …And That’s Just the Beginning
• 14:43 – Closing Remarks on Adventure Travel

Show Resources

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More Travel Resources to Start Your Journey with Adventure Travel

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Overview of Episode 8: Rewards of Adventure Travel

In the latest episode of the Tick It Before You Kick It podcast, Alexandra takes us on a transformative journey through adventure travel.

As someone who has moved abroad at the age of 18 and trekked solo across the globe, Alexandra is well-equipped to share how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to immense personal growth.

The episode is a treasure trove of life lessons. There are physical and mental benefits, and the unique opportunities that adventure travel can offer.

Adventure travel is more than just an exciting way to see the world; it’s a catalyst for personal development. When you step out of your comfort zone and face challenges head-on, you gain resilience and a profound sense of accomplishment.

Alexandra illustrates this with her own experiences, such as her trek through the Andes in Peru. This physical journey not only tested her endurance but also provided a deep sense of achievement.

By embracing such challenges, you can significantly enhance your physical fitness and self-esteem.

Cultural Immersion

One of the standout benefits of adventure travel is the cultural exchange it facilitates. Traditional education often misses the hands-on learning experiences that come from immersing oneself in new environments and interacting with locals.

Alexandra emphasizes how these interactions lead to meaningful cultural exchanges and the adoption of new practices. For example, during her travels, she has learned new skills and gained insights. She could never have acquired these in a classroom setting.

Break From Technology

In our hyper-connected lives, stepping away from technology can seem daunting, but it’s a crucial aspect of adventure travel. Alexandra shares how unplugging allows for genuine moments of mindfulness and stress relief.

During a recent trip to Bermuda, she found that being disconnected from the digital world enabled her to fully appreciate the beauty around her and find gratitude in the small things.

This mental detox is an often-overlooked benefit of adventure travel that can lead to improved mental health and well-being.

environmental Awareness

Adventure travel also fosters environmental awareness and a commitment to conservation.

By experiencing the natural beauty of our planet firsthand, travelers often develop a deeper passion for protecting it.

Alexandra recounts her visit to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. Here, she was both awed by the stunning scenery and disheartened by the pollution.

Such experiences can inspire travelers to adopt more sustainable habits and advocate for environmental conservation.

Survival Skills

Survival skills are another invaluable benefit of adventure travel.

From starting a fire to navigating healthcare systems in foreign countries, the skills learned during these trips are transferable to everyday life. Alexandra shares how her adventures have made her more resourceful and self-sufficient, equipping her with the confidence to tackle challenges both at home and abroad.

These skills extend beyond the physical; they also include problem-solving, independence, and resilience.

Personal Growth

Adventure travel is not just about personal growth; it’s also about building connections and expanding social circles.

Alexandra highlights how shared experiences, such as hiking through challenging terrains, can create lasting bonds with fellow travelers. These connections enrich the travel experience and provide a support network for future adventures.

Epic Travel Stories

Finally, adventure travel offers memorable experiences and epic stories that last a lifetime. Whether it’s hiking through Mordor in New Zealand or overcoming medical challenges in foreign countries, the stories that come from these adventures are unparalleled.

These narratives are not just for sharing with friends and family. They also serve as a testament to your resilience and ability to conquer challenges.

In conclusion, adventure travel is a powerful tool for personal transformation. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, fosters cultural exchange, promotes mental well-being, encourages environmental awareness, and equips you with invaluable survival skills.

Alexandra’s episode is a call to action for anyone looking to embark on their own adventure travel journey. Whether you’re an experienced traveler or just starting out, this episode offers motivation and practical tips to pursue your bucket list dreams.

Articles Related to This Episode

• What is Adventure Travel?
• Full List of Adventure Travel Benefits and Rewards
• A Guide to Moving Abroad
• Peru Bucket List
• Cruising Halong Bay Guide
• New Zealand Bucket List
• India Bucket List
• Ear Surgery in Vietnam Travel Story

Full Podcast Transcript (Episode 8: Why Choose Adventure Travel?)

Hey there, adventurers! Welcome to Tick It Before You Kick It: a podcast helping you conquer your adventure bucket list.

I’m your host, Alexandra, and I am a mermaid and a travel blogger. And in this episode we are going to be talking about the benefits of adventure travel.

This episode is going to be a little bit different than my normal episodes. So, if you want one of my normal bucket list adventure episodes, you can go ahead and skip this one.

But I just wanted to quick chat about some of the benefits of adventure travel so that if you do go on this type of travel…if you do choose to go on a bucket list trip…these are some of the benefits that you might come across. Or maybe this is just what you need to push you into that bucket list trip.

Now, this podcast does have a blog post that goes with it, and then I also have another blog post that talks about what adventure travel really is.

Both of those will be linked on the show notes at thebucketlistmermaid.com. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you can get more bucket list inspiration and travel resources.

Now let’s get started!

Types of Travel and Why Adventure Travel Stands Out

I do have to say that I think that there are several types of travel and I do enjoy all travel. However, I do think that adventure travel is my favorite because it has such a dramatic impact on a person.

I talked about this a little bit on my first episode of what adventure travel was, so that we were all on the same page, but now I’m going to really go into the benefits to you of doing this type of travel, and at the Bucket List Mermaid, I focused on adventure travel, so obviously I love it!

Let’s Push That comfort Zone, Baby!

Now, starting off, adventure travel really differs from normal travel because you have so much personal growth. You really do bust out of your comfort zones.

Often, adventure travel and tourism involve us facing challenge, both mentally and physically that encourages self-discovery.

It forces you to confront your fears, get out of your comfort zone, and then also teaches you resilience in the process.

This can also lead to just a profound sense of accomplishment, which, in turn, boosts self-esteem.

Moving Abroad and Backpacking

One example of this I actually moved abroad when I was only 18. I was afraid to travel alone. I always had to have a travel buddy. Then after going to college by myself in another country, I actually traveled by myself for seven months completely around the world.

I grew every step of the way. Did this scare me? Absolutely! But did it mean that I grew as a traveler and a person? Absolutely!

I’m sorry, like, after being in a hospital in a foreign country that doesn’t speak my language by myself? I feel like I could conquer anything at this point.

Adventure Travel: The BEST Way to Workout

Number two: if you have listened to my previous episode about adventure travel, you might have heard all of my definitions of adventure travel. Most of them did include some kind of physical aspect or an outdoor aspect.

Now, I went into this whole thing where I do think that this is depending on the traveler and that it doesn’t have to be physical for it to be considered adventure travel.

Although it’s not always like that, I do think that adventure travel does have a heavy emphasis on physical fitness and the outdoors.

Ever since I really started to embrace adventure travel, I think it’s very fun for me to see the growth in my physical health.

Training to Hike The Andes

One example of this is I hiked the Andes in Peru. Now, I haven’t really been a physical person my entire life, you know, I haven’t been that gym girlie – I want to be, but I just haven’t.

It’s just not natural for me. I’m a yogi, so that’s really cool, but I haven’t really found motivation for fitness.

I’ve never really been proud of what my body could do until I started adventure traveling.

So, when I did hike Peru, I ended up hiking, you know, multiple peaks in a day that were over 14,000 feet. I [even] made it to above 17,000 feet!

This was really a cool sensation for me because I was truly proud of what my body could do. So, this is another benefit of adventure travel is you really get to push your body to the limits and see what you’re capable of.

And it also requires you to train! Like, I had to train for that Peru trip months before I went. It just further added to that sense of achievement and that sense of accomplishment that I felt when I got to Machu Picchu.

I mean, granted, I didn’t look like it because I hadn’t showered in eight days, but I felt great.

Let Adventure Travel Open Your Mind and Heart

And next, cultural exchange and global understanding.

Now, generally travel inherently helps us broaden our minds and see other cultures and meet new people.

But I feel like adventure travel places a very special emphasis on this and I think that doing a cultural immersion or cultural exchange is adventure travel for sure.

And ever since I have started adventure traveling and stepping out of my comfort zone, I have met so many interesting people. I’ve met so many locals. I’ve heard their stories. I love talking to people about, you know, how they might have been raised differently than me and what their practices are.

I’ve even adopted some of their practices to my own life, and I just think this is beautiful.

Adventure Travel is the Best Teacher.

And next, you can learn new skills and knowledge.

Now, in normal travel maybe, you know, you’re laying on a beach with a nice Mai Tai.

However, in adventure travel, you are actively going out there and you are learning. And since you are learning, there are opportunities everywhere, from science to culture, to wildlife, to nature – you name it.

Everything that you are doing on that adventure travel trip you can learn about and you can broaden your horizons and you can just learn something new.

This is hands-on experiences that cannot be replicated in a classroom.

It’s funny when I was in Indonesia, I ended up buying this keychain from the airport that says the “University of Travel: the best education” and I just I bought it as a joke, but I think it’s kind of true.

Let Go of the 5G

Also, technology detox and mindfulness: I was recently on a trip to Bermuda with my best friend and she said that the worst part about traveling with me is she always loses all of her streaks, like her Snapchat streaks and her Duolingo streaks.

Because everywhere I take her has zero internet whatsoever. However, I just think it’s a nice chance to unplug. I know that sounds horrible to some people, but it’s kind of nice.

It’s just this break from technology; it’s just this breath of fresh air in our hyper-connected lives.

It just allows for more genuine moments of mindfulness and I just feel like when you’re not distracted by all these devices, you can truly appreciate the beauty around you.

You can find gratitude and it’s just a more hidden benefit of adventure tourism that I don’t think that most travelers think about, but I think it deserves to be talked about.

RIP to my Snapchat streaks, but totally worth it.

Being Outside Reduces Stress

Also, stress reduction in the great outdoors: As I said, not all adventure travel has to be outside, but the majority of it does take place outside because it’s adventurous.

And there have been so many scientific journal research studies. I mean from Harvard, Cornell, the National Institutes of Health, even the National Forest Service. [They all] did a research study on this and they all say the same exact thing that getting outdoors is very good medicine.

All this research shows that spending time in nature lowers cortisol levels, it lowers blood pressure, and it increases mood and focus.

The outdoors are just natural stress and anxiety relievers and all of it is just extremely therapeutic.

So, this is one of the massive benefits of adventure travel is you are going to reduce stress and improve mood naturally from doing all of these activities.

Except when I was [in] Peru and all of our oxygen levels were like below 80 and we all thought we were going to die, that was one of the rare cases where it was not stress reducing.

Mental Health Benefits of Adventure Travel

Leading into that, there are several mental health benefits.

Adventure tourism and travel is not just invigorating for the body. Yes, you might have to train for a trip or you might be spending a lot of time outside, but it’s also some great therapy for the mind.

Most of the time, as I said, adventure travel pushes you past your boundaries and it pushes you out of your comfort zone and it gives you this sense of accomplishment.

This gives you a sense of purpose, excitement, and novelty.

Taking a break for adventure isn’t a suggestion, it’s essential, and these kinds of things can do wonders for your mental health.

Adventure Travel is in Love With Sustainable Travel

Another emphasis on adventure tourism is the environmental awareness and the conservation.

There is a very high focus on sustainable travel and leaving these beautiful places exactly as you find them and not leaving a trace, so that future generations can also experience this just like we are at this moment.

And I feel like this connection to nature often extends past the trip and this can also influence your daily habits once you get home.

I’ve always loved the world. I’ve always wanted to, you know, make sure that we preserve it.

However, it wasn’t until I actually experienced the world that I became truly passionate about protecting it, and I think there are some cases where I have been traveling and I have seen things where it’s just broken my heart.

One example that I can think of off the top of my head is I was in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. It was just these gorgeous towering limestone rock formations that were jetting out of the water and we were just swimming on these [idyllic] beaches. Then there were just, like, plastic bags and cigarettes and everything in the water.

So when you do adventure travel, I think you do naturally become more passionate about this. I’m not saying that you need to drop everything and become a tree hugger.

However, it’s kind of nice to see these things and be like, “Hmm, I think it would be nice if you know my children can see that too. That would be kind of cool. And you know, not throw my cigarettes in the ocean. That’d be cool too,”

Adventure Travel and Survival Skills

Also, [you get] development of outdoor and travel survival skills that are totally transferable once you get home.

There are definitely things that I have done while adventure traveling that I never would have done on normal traveling that I have taken with me back home and that have made me confident enough to go after the life that I want.

I think that adventure tourism equips you with invaluable survival skills that can be applied to various life situations.

I’m talking about the normal ones that you can think of, like starting a fire and building a shelter, but also resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and just generally being able to get through challenges.

One time I got cellulitis in my foot in India and the first time that I tried to go get medical attention, I couldn’t get seen because they were all on strike. And then the next time I couldn’t get it because I was a woman and someone that I was traveling with (a man) had a broken leg and they were just higher priority.

So it’s things like this – where I can go back to my normal life and I feel like I can navigate many healthcare systems just based on what I learned from that situation and also how to handle those challenges.

Going through adversity, pushing through, challenging yourself – those are skills that you are going to nourish and that you are going to transfer to your life back home.

Meaningful Travel and Experiential Tourism

Also, this encourages meaningful travel and experiential tourism.

Now, I I had to actually look that up what experiential tourism is, and it’s just the importance of immersive experience that positively impact travelers and the destinations they visit.

So, you’re making a good impact on where you are going and then they’re also making a good impact on you, and I just feel like this type of travel really fosters a more personal and authentic connection with the environment [and] the people around you and also with different cultures.

It just ensures that each adventure has a greater purpose and you’re actually finding meaning towards your travel.

You’re not just sticking a band-aid on your problems back home and then coming back and your problems are the exact same and you’re the same exact person.

You’re actually going, you’re actually learning about the world, and you’re actually becoming more open-minded.

Well, this type of travel is designed to be transformative. It’s designed to help you learn more about the world, help you learn more about yourself, and help you learn more about the planet.

Vacation is escapism. Travel is growth.

Making Friends while Adventure Traveling

You build connections and expand social circles.

There are so many opportunities for you to make new friendships on these trips, because there’s like no better way to say, “Let’s be friends!” than let’s go hiking with a pickaxe through Mordor and New Zealand together.

This happened to me. I’m still friends with her to this day. I don’t want to say “trauma bonding”, but when you go through these experiences together, I think you really do form a special bond that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.

Enhanced Problem Solving in Adventure Travel

Next, enhanced problem solving and independence…because adventure does not always go as planned.

I don’t know if you heard me ramble on about my cellulitis in India, but there’s so much.

I had ear surgery in Vietnam, I got stung by a man of war in Bermuda, I’ve gotten lost, I’ve lost my passport, I’ve been in sketchy situations.

However, I do think that, although it’s scary at the time, it helps us learn improvisation and quick thinking.

I think that adventure travelers are naturally more adept at problem solving [and] finding resourceful solutions without the conveniences sometimes of modern life (like technology).

I just think that this makes you a very well-rounded, independent person.

However, quick plug – it’s impossible to stay prepared for everything. So that’s why I always recommend travel insurance.

Epic Adventure Travel stories Galore!

And next, you get memorable experiences and and epic travel stories.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: If you’re an adventure traveler…you will have travel stories. No good travel stories came from you just sitting on a beach somewhere, maybe they did…but generally my travel stories come from me adventuring and going out of my comfort zone.

Some might be good, some might be not so good, but that’s just the beauty of adventure tourism. I’m not saying to do it for the story, but the stories are really fun to tell.

And That’s just the Beginning of the Rewards of Adventure Travel

So, as you can see, the benefits of adventure tourism are literally endless.

It just offers so many physical benefits, so many emotional benefits, so many mental benefits.

It’s just a way to grow, learn, and connect with everything in the world around you in such a deep and meaningful way.

And again, this varies from traveler to traveler. So, you do not have to go on this grand adventure to harness all of these benefits.

It’s simply just stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something that you wouldn’t normally be doing in order to grow – you’re still going to reap those sweet, sweet rewards of adventure travel.

It is my hope that this podcast can maybe inspire you to maybe check some things off of your bucket list. Go on that adventure, step out of your comfort zone, grow as a person and live your life to the fullest.

Closing REmarks of Adventure Travel

I thank you so so much for listening to this little quick tangent of adventure travel, but I just wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page for what this can actually do for a person.

This is not just going on vacation on your PTO. This is you actually taking charge of your own life and bettering yourself and the world around you.

If you do enjoy this, make sure to share it with your travel friend, who’s maybe right on the cusp of becoming an adventure traveler and maybe that’s you! Or maybe you’re already a seasoned adventurer!

Wherever you are in your journey, thank you guys so much for watching and again, don’t forget to check out the full blog post on thebucketlistmermaid.com, and I would love to cheer you on in all of your adventures.

So, if you want to just follow me on social media (@thebucketlistmermaid), I would be happy to cheer you on as you live your adventurous life.

Thank you, guys, so much for watching and we will see you next time!

Follow The Tail