One of my main goals is to inspire others to travel farther and get more out of their journeys. These are the top 3 ways to do exactly that.
#1. Plan your next trip TODAY
I’m serious. Right now. Where do you want to go? Who have you been meaning to visit?
Pick a place and make it happen. Skip Thanksgiving if you have to. Put a big marker line on the calendar. Talk about it at dinner tonight. You’re going.
You’ve got one life to live and playing it safe is the most self-limiting thing you can do. By saving money early in life you are sacrificing your own potential – your potential to grow beyond your comfort zone, discover who you really are, and gain direct experience of the world.
“I refuse to walk carefully through life only to arrive safely at death.”
– Paulo Coelho
And the sooner you travel the greater the benefit – because you will benefit longer from the new doors that are opened, your new understanding of yourself, and the benefits of being open-minded and more well rounded.
Normally this topic is couched as a dilemma between spending money to travel and investing it “responsibly.” Now, I’m not saying be irresponsible – but fuck bank accounts. Bank accounts don’t live your life, you do. Invest in your mind, in your memories, in the stories you will tell and the person you will become. Nothing makes you richer or builds wisdom faster than your own adventures.
“Some people are so poor all they have is money.”
– Anonymous
#2. Stay with a local
This is the single biggest secret to get more out of travel.
Instead of just sight-seeing and inevitably feeling like a tourist, by staying with a local you get to go behind the scenes of a city, experience what their life is like, and build lasting friendships.
Nothing makes a trip better than the advice and hospitality of a local. Staying with a local has the obvious benefits of them knowing all the best restaurants and hidden places – but it also gives you a more authentic experience of life in that city. In my experience, staying with a local will overwhelm you with a sense of our shared humanity and will become the most memorable part of your trip.
Staying with a local will overwhelm you with a sense of our shared humanity and will become the most memorable part of your trip.
So tap into your network. Who do you know? Think harder. What about that college friend that moved away, or that distance relative who married a Moroccan? Scroll through all your Facebook friends if you have to. Talk to your coworkers and friends-of-friends. They want to show you their home country, I guarantee it.
If your network falls short, or you’ve already exhausted it, CouchSurfing is a limitless resource for finding eager locals. People from every country in the world now have profiles that you can contact and request to stay with. They will review your profile and if they agree to your stay you have free accommodations and the priceless advice of a local (and more than likely an enthusiastic tour guide).
#3. Just Say Yes
This is your chance to try something new and go beyond your normal limits (which are entirely self-imposed). Make a point to try things you don’t normally try. Find your curiosity for the world and allow yourself this chance to grow. You have every other day of the year to do your normal routine back home.
“Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.”
― Benjamin Franklin
When you travel, open up. Go with the flow. You won’t see new sights if you follow the same path everyday.
So go get lost. Go explore. Go to that country you never thought you’d visit. Go with the flow. Open up. Say “Yes” to every opportunity, every side trip, and every unidentifiable dish. This is where the real magic happens; eating food you can’t identify, traveling places you can’t name, in a part of the world you never thought you’d visit. Just say Yes. You’ll be a richer person for it.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
― Neale Donald Walsch
P.S. – Screw Nancy Reagan