Travel Deeper: Building My Personal Philosophy of Travel
When the world seemingly stopped in the spring of 2020, I think travelers were given a rare opportunity. Sure, it wasn’t one that we had asked for, or one that we sought out ourselves. The world chose this one for us. Covid entirely changed the travel industry. It halted sought-after vacations, thwarted bucket list adventures and wiped our slates clean. Now, we have to change the way we travel.
Asking Ourselves The Hard Questions
Without the world completely shifting and restrictions made, I don’t know if there would ever be a better time for us as travelers to analyze our involvement in the travel/tourism industry. We can’t continue business as usual. We need to seriously address how our contribution/involvement in travel can be toxic.
Questions we need to be asking ourselves:
How are we choosing destinations to travel to?
Are we traveling for Instagram photos and/or validation?
Are we seeking out meaningful experience to learn from, or to simply check another country off a bucket list?
Are we taking the time to connect with family-owned businesses and lodgings, or simply booking the chain hotel we’re familiar with?
Are we investing in locally operated tours, or finding the quickest solution on a website?
How long am we staying in a destination? Is there a reason we’re booking multiple locations so quickly?
In what ways can I reduce my carbon footprint?
Am I taking the time to learn about the history, culture and language of my destination, or simply relying on my English speaking capabilities to get by?
Listen, I know. These questions are tough. They explicitly call out some of my own behaviors I’ve exhibited in my past travels. But we can do better now. Small changes, small adaptations, small recognitions of our contributions can make great change.
My Personal Travel Philosophy: Travel With Intention
I haven’t been a perfect traveler. Nor do I think I ever will be. However, in this season, I’ve been given time to reflect on how I want to contribute to the travel industry. I’m ready to be clear about my personal travel goals.
I’ve realized the importance of traveling with mindful intentions. Meaning, going into travel experiences with a focus, a goal, a desire… and spending lots of time in preparation to educate myself beforehand. To clarify my own personal travel philosophy with you all… I’ll share my full manifesto. Here we go!
I believe in travel that transforms, that opens up new portals of my own creativity. I believe in travel that is educated, prepared, ready to appreciate. I believe in months of reading, learning, viewing, asking, researching, cooking and listening. I believe in travel that requires me to do the work before arriving. Because those hours of work not only excite me and help build anticipation - they educate me, they make me better. I believe in local connections and small businesses as a means to establish bonds with locals and unlock deeper connection. I believe in slow travel, in staying longer. I believe in finding balance in my travel itinerary, with time to simply enjoy, to reflect, to engage, to create in my own time.
Building A Personal Travel Philosophy
How does one build a personal travel philosophy? By asking ourselves what matters.
Before booking your next getaway, ask yourself what really is at the core of your desire to visit. What experiences would transform a trip into an adventure? In what way are you willing to do “the work”? In what ways are you willing to invest in your time before departing? In what ways are you staying true to your interests, your desires, your hopes and dreams when you book your itinerary? What can you learn or do beforehand to enrich your travels? How can you contribute to the local economy? How can you learn from a local’s perspective?
Ask yourself these questions. Reflect on your answers. Revise, revisit. And then write it all down. Build that personal travel philosophy and let it be your manifesto as you go through each phase of booking that next trip. I promise, it’s so worth it.
I would love to continue the discussion on personal travel philosophies with you all. Have you thought about adopting your own? What are your core beliefs you cling to when you set out to explore a new destination?