"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine
Excuse #1: Not enough time
We have been trained to view travel as this idyllic thing that we must wait for to enjoy. Wait until we have the money, wait until our kids are grown, wait until we have the time, wait until we get a job with better PTO, wait until we retire. Before we know it, we have waited our lives away. The timing will never be perfect; it’s not about waiting for the right time, it’s about making time. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Time is our greatest currency, yet we waste so much of it chasing money. It’s only when we have a limit placed on our time here that we feel that sense of urgency and start using it.
Travel used to be an escape for me, a weekend or week-long vacation where I could turn off my brain and escape from my work, relationships, and life. But, since I began working as a sailing yoga instructor/retreat leader, I’ve realized travel is most enjoyable when you use it to live, to learn, and add to your life, not escape it and this mindset has changed everything. Traveling has become a part of my life, not a way to escape it.
Excuse #2: Not enough money
I’ve been blessed to visit places I never would have dreamed of being able to “afford,” but once I got there I realized how affordable it can be. Granted, European travel fare is steep, but once I got there…I was shocked at how much money I was actually saving. Walking instead of driving, meals costing $8 instead of $30, drinks costing $4 instead of $20. If you map it out, you would be spending less than what you would back home on meals, bars, Ubers, and outings. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
All you have to do is get there. Don’t wait, don’t make excuses, if you want to start traveling, start requesting the time off, start saving, start planning. It doesn’t even have to be a spontaneous trip to Europe or Hawaii to get started; consider weekend trips or work remotely and take a road trip to a lake or cabin. Travel is simply living new experiences every day., avoiding the mundane. Soon enough, you’ll realize you no longer travel to escape your life but enjoy it.
Excuse #3: I’m a homebody
This one hits home for many, including myself (at least, the person I used to be). Traveling has changed my personality (my personal reality) for the better: I’ve become less controlling, more open-minded, outgoing, and adventurous. I’ve followed my curiosities, and as a result, I've become more confident, comfortable, and capable of embracing more change and challenge in my life. It has shaped me into a completely different person, with a completely new outlook on life.
I just got back from my second international retreat, and I realized that I am the best version of myself when I travel and I bring that person home with me. When I come home from travel, I have always learned something new: about myself, other people, other cultures, food, drink, music, and life. I fill my cup. And when I come home, my cup runneth over. I can give more, work harder, practice patience, forgiveness and balance easier.
I am no longer sad to leave and return to “reality” because I have transformed travel into my new reality! I start planning my next trip on the plane ride home. I always give myself something to look forward to. Life is too short to waste it waiting. Take control of your life, change the stigmatized view behind travel, and start slowly incorporating it into your life. It has truly changed my life, and I hope it changes yours too.
