This is a response to Taking A Spontaneous Trip With Your Besties Is The BEST Thing You Can Do For Your Mental Health

Not only does travel positively impact mental health, but the experience gives you the ability to grow as a person, makes you mindful of your environment at your destination and at home, and offers an opportunity of gratitude for everything that has led you to this trip.

Although my most recent trip to New York City was planned months in advance, having the opportunity to leave home for a few days with my siblings was a great experience, both for my mental health and also for the travel bug in me. I’ve learned through my travels that even though leaving home can be a stressful experience (i.e. our flight being canceled), what you see once you arrive is worth the hustle and bustle, especially when you’re with the ones you love.

After studying abroad in the spring semester this year and traveling to a new city every weekend, I was happy to fall back into the rush and excitement of a weekend trip, complete with trying to experience everything you can in a 72-hour time crunch. This feeling was familiar to me: feeling yourself grow in a city that’s a temporary home, visiting as many significant sites as possible to make the most of a trip, and becoming comfortable for a moment only to be moving to a new location the next. Having my siblings with me, however, reminded me of the importance of merely taking a moment to be grateful and mindful, and allow yourself to acknowledge how you’ve grown since the beginning of this travel journey.

I thought about my previous trip to New York last summer and how much has changed since then. How much more confident I am in myself and my ability to travel. Everything that I have experienced since then, from my second year of college to studying abroad to the professional experiences that I have gained in between. I thought about my expectations for this trip and how I was able to be truly flexible with the bumps along the way, being grateful for what my siblings and I were able to experience. The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the Saks Fifth Avenue Light Show, and the Union Square Holiday Market were definitely some of my favorite parts. Being able to order wine in Little Italy this time around wasn’t half bad either.

No matter where you’re traveling or whom you’re traveling with, taking a moment to be mindful of your growth along the way and grateful for the travel opportunity is key to enjoying your time. Rather than focusing on how much you cram into a short two-day trip, I would suggest prioritizing the events or locations that matter most to you and your travel companions and spending as much time as you deem necessary in those spots. Although my siblings and I weren’t able to go to the MET and Central Park as planned, we still enjoyed every minute of our trip, from eating delicious food, appreciating the sunny but cold days, using the NYC subway for the first time, and playing UNO at the end of the night.

So, in conclusion, I agree with the author. TAKE THE TRIP! Explore. Take in every moment. Take your loved ones with you. Book the flight (hopefully it doesn’t get canceled), hop on that plane, and enjoy every minute of it. Most importantly: make memories and have fun.