OPINION
KANSAN.COM
Illustration by Roxy Townsend
Van Nortwick: Traveling improves quality of life
▶ MADISON VAN
NORTWICK
@mavannortwick 13
Traveling is a high priority for many college students. Students are known for counting down the days until the next spring break or jetting off to study in a foreign country, often putting their funds toward memorable trips instead of being more
This wanderlust seems to diminish as student loans and debt creep around the corner after graduation. Once out in the real world, students desperately search for a good job and do not want to risk losing that dream job by taking time off, so traveling takes a back seat.
According to CNN Mon-
practical and saving for the future.
ey, 60 percent of workers ages 18 to 25 say they won't use all of their vacation days, and 25 percent say they won't use any of their time off. Only 7 percent of workers ages 50 to 70 say they won't use all of their vacation days.
be the answer to a happier life and more successful career.
Millennials are feeling the pressure to get ahead at work, and are sacrificing their traveling plans to do so, but traveling might just
According to Huffington Post, annual vacations reduce stress, improve heart health, improve mental health and improve relationships. Basically, vacations make you a healthier and happier person, which will make you a better worker as well.
Money is obviously a
big concern for millennials, they are worried about both losing it and spending it when using vacation days, but you do not need to spend a week at an expensive five-star resort to reap these health benefits of a vacation. Taking a long weekend and staying in a cheap Airbnb in a city you've never been can be just as beneficial for your health and happiness.
Millennials, and older generations as well, must remember their love for traveling and need for adventure when contemplating passing up their vacation days. Remember your yearning to see and experience it all, and make traveling a priority again.
Madison Van Nortwick is a junior from Denver studying English.