Why You Should Never Wait Until Retirement To Travel
Are you one of those people who believes that the best time to travel is after retirement? Well, think again. There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t wait until you’re in your golden years to start exploring the world. From the missed opportunities to the aches and pains that come with age, there’s no denying that waiting until retirement to travel might not be the best idea.
The truth is, traveling, just like getting a tattoo, is something that should never be put off until retirement. Let’s explore why below.
10 reasons why you shouldn’t wait until retirement to travel
1. Your health might not allow it
When you’re young, you’re at the peak of your physical fitness. You can hike for miles, climb mountains, and explore new cities with ease.
But as we age, our bodies start to slow down, and those long hikes and adventurous activities might not be possible when we’re in our 60s or 70s.
So why not do it now, while you’re still young and spry?
2. Life is unpredictable
Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs at us. You might have all these lofty ideas and plans to travel the world when you retire, but what if something unexpected happens?
No one knows how long we have on this beautiful planet, so putting off doing something you really want to do until a time that might never come isn’t wise.
3. You’ll regret not taking the opportunity
When you’re old and gray and looking back on your life, you don’t want to have any regrets. Traveling is one of the most enriching experiences you can have, so why deny yourself that pleasure now?
How do you know you’ll even enjoy it once you retire? It’s better to do it now, while your heart’s in it.
4. You’ll be too set in your ways
Continuing on from the previous point, when you’ve been doing the same thing for 40 years, it’s hard to break out of your routine. Traveling when you’re older might be overwhelming and uncomfortable because it’s outside of your comfort zone.
When you reach retirement age, knowing the limitations your age puts on you – physically, mentally, or both – and having inevitably built up a resistance to things you’re not used to, it can very easily make you apprehensive about traveling. And before you know it, you’ll have talked yourself out of taking that trip.
By traveling now, while you’re still young and gung-ho, you’re more likely to take those oddball excursions and intense treks that challenge your body and mind.
5. You have fewer commitments
Although retirement does bring without a certain level of freedom – no work, often more disposable income – you’ll still have family commitments, possibly moreso than you did before. Think grandparent duties.
If you ever have grandchildren, you’ll want to spend as much time with them as possible, so jetting off around the world every five minutes isn’t going to work.
Traveling young, before you start a family, career, or whatever, means you can travel care-free and get it out of your system.
6. It’ll be more dangerous
Something that’s often not talked about in these discussions is the increased risk of danger when traveling as a senior person.
As much as we like to believe that the world is a safe place, the reality is that there are risks associated with travel. You never know when a natural disaster, political unrest, or simply a theft is going to happen while you’re abroad. While these risks exist at any age, they can be more dangerous when you’re older and may not have the physical or mental capacity to handle them.
Pickpockets and other criminals often target older tourists because they know those people are less likely to be able to defend themselves. What’s more, scammers and fraudsters are finding ever more creative ways to criminalize people; older people who aren’t street savvy are less likely to know they’re being targeted.
There’s also the very real threat of falling ill whilst abroad, especially in countries where illnesses like malaria run rampant. As an older person, your immune system might not be as strong, making you more susceptible to illness or disease.
By traveling when you’re younger, you’re better equipped to handle these types of situations. You’re more adaptable, physically able, and mentally resilient.
7. You’ll miss out on important character-building skills
Traveling teaches you valuable life skills that can’t be learned in a classroom or office. You’ll learn how to adapt to new situations, communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds, problem-solve, and become more independent.
Yes, in theory, you can learn these skills after retirement age, but it’s unlikely that you’ll learn enough for it to impact your life in a huge way. By traveling now, while these skills are still relevant to, say, career growth, you’ll get a greater benefit than you would if you waited until retirement.
8. Travel insurance will be more expensive
When it comes to travel, age is just a number, but unfortunately, the price of travel insurance is not. That’s right, the older you get, the more expensive it becomes.
Insurance companies see older travelers as higher risk and more likely to have health complications, thus their premiums can be eye-watering.
9. You don’t want to be the oldest person there
Let’s be real, no one wants to be the oldest person at the hostel or the beach party. Sure, age is just a number, but it’ll be pretty awkward trying to make friends with people who could be your grand-kids!
10. You’ll have more fun if you travel now
Okay, so this is probably subjective, but the reality is, you’re going to enjoy yourself way more if you travel while you’re still able to explore and do exciting things. You won’t be tempted to simply lounge on a beach all day sipping piña coladas, you’ll want to be out actually living.
My advice to you, if it wasn’t already obvious, is: don’t wait until retirement to travel. Life is short and unpredictable, so seize the day and book that trip you’ve been dreaming of.
Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a year-long adventure, traveling will enrich your life in ways you never thought possible. So pack your bags, grab your passport, and go explore the world!