If you can't remember the last time took you took a vacation, then it's certainly time to start planning one. And even if you can remember and took one not too long ago...it's time to start planning another one anyway. The world is absolutely humongous, and when we stay in the same spot for too long we just don't get to see enough of the rest of the world.

Not to mention the fact that taking vacations has all kinds of proven positive effects on our happiness levels, and in fact the act of planning alone and having a trip coming up in the books has been shown to make people happier. We love our anticipation. Here are some other reasons why you should start planning a vacation now.

13 For The Perspective

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It's incredibly easy to get tied up in our daily dramas that don't really matter in the large scheme of things, and nothing puts perspective on our life like stepping out of it for a few days. Of course this can come from really big and important things (like feeling like you're not as poor as you thought you were), but it can also come from more subtle experiences. Maybe you realize that you're not nitpicking the way you look when you're on the go because you're focusing on more interesting things...and that you should work on bringing some of that freedom back to instill in your daily life.

12 It Makes You A Better Problem Solver

Researchers have set out to see how they can influence people's problem solving skills, and they do this by asking them to come up with solutions for a real or made up problem called a creative generation problem. They have found that when people are told that the problem solving task was created in a different country, they open their mind and come up with more expansive solutions to the problem. When considering a wider scope by distance, people are literally less likely to stick to old assumptions and are more likely to think abstractly and come up with more solutions.

11 To Expand Your Sense Of Self

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When we travel we do things that we've never done before, some of those things which give us a sense of accomplishment. (Even if it's just figuring out how to navigate the subway in a new town.) When we realize that we can do something new, we consider what other types of things we might be capable of as well. There is plenty of self expansion you can do at home too, but sometimes the change of scenery is the only way to be pushed to do certain things. It might not be reasonable for you to bike to work in your hometown, but biking to breakfast on vacation can be, and while subtle as far as experiences go, it's still an experience.

10 To Show Fear Who's Boss

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Everyone feels fear, some of us just for different reasons. The worst thing that we can do to ourselves is let that fear take over our lives, however, and when we avoid doing things because they scare us, that is exactly what we are doing. Instead of letting fear make the decisions, let yourself feel the fear and then do things anyway and take control of your life. Obviously be reasonable here, we're not suggesting anything unsafe. That's the only time that fear actually helps us out, in truly unsafe conditions. But something like testing out a foreign language is not a dangerous endeavour...and it can still feel strangely frightening. Do it anyway.

9 To Reach Some Goals

If traveling somewhere is on your list of things to do in life then you can consider it a goal. The more goals we can meet and successfully complete, the more we grow as people and the more our world can change. In a certain sense crossing things off our to-do list re-opens our sense of freedom, because we can feel slightly more open to what is going to happen next. When we feel bogged down by our goals...even when they're awesome ones...we might not be living as openly as we should be and putting too much pressure on yourself. Keep in mind that these things are supposed to be fun, and then do them.

8 Active Travel Is Good For Your Physical Health

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Active travel means you're up walking around and staying busy. There are physical, cognitive, and social benefits of active travel. It's good for the heart, and good for the brain. The US Travel Association says that people who have more sex on vacations, are less likely to burn out when they're back at work, and that students who travel abroad are more likely to finish their degrees and out-earn their non traveling peers by as much as 40 percent when they get out into the workforce. Plus, traveling is good for the economy and cuts down on taxes that people would be paying if no one was traveling.

7 You Can't Really Do It Wrong

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Sure technically a whole lot can go wrong on a vacation (lost passport, lost in general, fighting with your travel mate), but even when things do go wrong there is still a sense of adventure about the whole thing  that might not be so apparent in your daily life. It's never fun to miss a bus, but it's a lot more amusing when it's in a different town and you were trying to catch it to get to something fun anyway. Plus, even the worst vacation stories are stories that you'll get to tell later, and nothing turns disaster into humor like a little distance. And if anything too crazy goes down, then you've learned your lesson and it won't happen again.

6 You Could Probably Use Some New Stories

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Feel like life has been a little boring lately? Taking a trip is a really fast way to make things feel a lot more interesting. It's not like you need to compete with your coworkers over who had the best weekend, but let's be honest it feels nice from time to time to have something impressive to share. You don't even have to go that far to get outside of your normal box. Driving somewhere for the day can be just as fun as flying halfway around the world if you stay open to adventure and just go with the flow.

5 To Challenge Yourself

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When you travel, you will be faced with new circumstances, and the more we can get used to that (and smoothly handling them), the more flexible we will be to new circumstances in our day to day life as well. We get really used to doing things our way, and travel can flip things around and remind us that we don't make all the rules. The more we can accept that, the more we realize that trying new things is actually pretty fun, and the more likely we are to say yes to other new experiences.

4 To Create A Strong Sense Of Self

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One of the interesting things about travel is that we (usually) get to choose where we're going, and also what we do when we get there. Exploring things that interest you and doing things that you like to do means that you're expressing yourself and your experience in authentic ways. Being authentic to the self is respectful towards our own growth, and also makes us a lot more interesting to other people, because we are projecting who we truly are inside and sharing that with them. Confidence in yourself really works wonders.

3 Spending Time Outside Is Really Good For You

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Yes of course you can spend time outside in your own backyard, but spending time in different types of nature offers some pretty unique experiences. Climbing a mountain and taking in the view is one type of wonderful while sitting on the beach is another one. One of the most incredible things about spending time outside is the grounding energy of the earth, and realizing that you're just a small part of a whole lot of wonderful. Not to mention, when you are hanging out outside there are so many opportunities for exercise and getting your blood moving.

2 To Cut Down On Stress

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Research has shown that even after only a day or two most people are effectively able to let go some of their work stressors.  Some of the stress might come back when you head back to work...but also maybe not thanks to the feeling of peace and accomplishment you can get from a great trip. And even if it does, it's still beneficial to have those moments where you clear the mind. Think about a vacation like a sort of walking meditation and see the stress and anxiety step out of the way for the time being. Even if you just use a vacation to catch up on sleep, it's probably worth it.

1 To Meet New People

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If you're lucky, you can meet people when you're traveling that can become lifelong friends. Think about it, the more friends you have in different cities, the more couches you have to crash on if you ever needed to. In addition to making actual friends, just talking to strangers and learning about their experiences can open your world in unexpected ways. Maybe someone tells you about a job that you didn't even know existed, or maybe you meet a different type of man that loosens the restrictions you have on your "type." You just never know...and that's what makes it wonderful.

sources: goodnature.nathab.com, forbes.com, bbc.com 

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