As I look out of my window this morning the palette of colours is a depressing collection of greys. The only vibrancy is coming from the warning lights of a descending jumbo jet. The plane acts as a hint: as we head towards winter, now might be the time to take a holiday. Despite having a decent summer this year, with the newspapers even getting giddy about a heatwave, you're more likely to be fearing another winter like the last one, which went on and on and on. I was still wearing my parka in April. So it might be time to get some colour into your life; it might be time to find some sunshine.
Where does our desire to travel come from and why is it so popular? Every newspaper carries a travel section and most of us get far more excited thinking about our two week break than we do about going to work every day. A holiday can be many different things for people. It used to be about catching up on sleep and getting some sun. For some, it still is. Increasingly though, people want more from their two weeks off. They want a new experience. Our lives are made up of routine and sometimes, that can be comforting. Going to work every day brings the security of a regular income, which means we can look after our family. But routine can also be frustrating and boring. Getting off the hamster wheel for a while invigorates us. Sure, travel means we can rest but we can also see it as time to be inspired, to be excited about something again.
We want to experience how it feels to exist in a different place. We want new sensations: new sounds to fill our ears, the smell of a different kind of food and then the unfamiliar taste of that. Travel also gives us a chance to play the comparison game. How do other people live? What does their day to day look like? Suddenly we've got some options. Maybe we won't want to live in the same place anymore. By travelling, our minds open up.
So where to start? Sometimes the choice can seem daunting, even if you hit the more popular websites. Tripadvisor is a labyrinth, as is Lonely Planet. Go for the bloggers, or the simpler Wordpress sites. One such is Daring Planet, which offers a simpler choice of options. Here you'll find easily digestible bite size chunks of inspiration in list form, for example 'Best Beaches In The World to Visit'. So think about it: where do you want to go next?