At the Willing Road, I want to teach people how to travel in a way that they will always have an adventure wherever the road is willing to take them.
Travel over the years has been painted as the “perfect” lifestyle. Social media portrays it in such a way that people rush into it with high expectations of catching that “perfect” life, only to leave still feeling empty, wondering what all the fuss is about. While on the road, people may fall into a dip where they believe that they’re not doing travel “right” because their pictures aren’t like the ones they see on the internet.
Or maybe it’s not that. Maybe your money can only take you so far which can cause you to cancel your plans because “there’s no point.” Honey, there is a point. It’s time to take your butt to the road with confidence and a travel philosophy to keep you going.
I’ve developed this travel philosophy with points to keep in mind to make the most of your trip. Whether it’s a group trip, a solo trip, or a family trip, as long as you have this philosophy, you’ll return home from your travels that were definitely worth your while. Just remember…
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That you don’t have to see everything.
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To learn and keep on learning– there’s always something new to discover.
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That something will always go wrong.
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That pushing yourself out of your comfort zone– whether it be trying new food, a new activity, or observing the religion– is a major part of the experience.
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To slow down– Move deliberately through the world instead of immediately attempting to “hit all the sights” in an effort to check items off your to-do list.
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To see the local people as your neighbors, not as a National Geographic magazine.
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That you won’t love every city/country and that’s okay.
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That the journey is all part of the experience and demonstrates your intent on traveling to the destination.
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To open yourself up to unpredictability and spontaneity.
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That there are no rules– Travel is whatever you want it to be.
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That you’ll make a lot of really close friends and you will never see them again.
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That you’re lucky enough to be traveling in the first place.
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That not everyone wants to hear about your travels.
When you’ve returned from your travels you’ll see everyone’s eyes gloss over. Not everyone really cares about when you saw the Taj Mahal, and they don’t really want to hear about your hike up the mountain when you ran out of water and had to buy orange juice from a local on the side of the mountain before you reached the peak and you kissed the sky as you peered down at the world below. Most of the time all you’ll get is “How was your trip?” and a simple “Good” is all they want to hear.
With the travel philosophy above, you’ll know that you’ve had a wonderful trip. Not because social media deemed it so, not because your friends praised you, but because you created unique moments in your life. Those moments were unforgettable and those moments were yours. No one can take that away from you.
