I urge each of us, to invest in experiences instead of more stuff.
Taking the Chicken bus Guatemala
Are we rarely more alive, than when we are out in the great outdoors exploring and discovering?
If you could do anything, what would you do? 'Travel' Great! You have picked something that offers so much.
What is stopping you? Lack of money and time. Could this be making excuses of fear not to travel?
We are now living in the golden age of debt 'monotonous life' yet the world has so much to offer 'experiences'
If you have had enough of the noise, traffic and the haste of life? Then you can decide to change your life for a life of travel and see what the world has to offer. This can be short 'mini brakes' or you can make it ongoing. You don't have to travel far to have wonderful experiences and you especially don't need loads of money.
Having your life laid out in front of you (working 9 - 5, retire, die) or travel the unknown by living your life to the fullest? By walking your own path and having great stories of adventure to pass on with no regrets.
"Living a zombie life; watching TV and mowing the lawn or live in the real world, in the great outdoors"
You only have fear, because you haven't done what you want to do yet
Live every day and enjoy your passion. If you don't like your job, then quit! You can conquer fear to travel by having the courage to make it happen. We can adapt quickly to living in a new situation, start today by doing what you want, make those changes right now. Go do what you want to do, if you don't want to live your passion close this page and continue living in fear. For the rest of you read on............
I have been travelling for many years; it was in 2002, on crossing
Mexico. That I heard people talking about Guatemala, it sounded an amazing place to visit. But I decided to continue crossing Mexico, which was also an amazing part of the world to explore. But in 2007, I booked a flight to Guatemala; this was my first solo travel. I had no plans, I just knew I had to go, all I researched was where do traveller's hangout and how much to pay for the bus at the airport, to get me to my first night's sleep. And wow I picked a great country to travel, a real adventure and discovery, the essential elements of the travel experience.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did"
Volcán de Fuego - west of Antigua Guatemala
No regrets
Travel means many things to many people, a form of escape, business opportunity or an obligation.
Travelling long term can mean you are running away from something or you are looking for something. In my case; both, I am running away from monotonous life and looking for more of what our world has to offer.
Like many of you perhaps, I would be staring out of the window at work, constantly daydreaming the life I wasn't living, the places I wasn't seeing, the people I wasn't meeting. I have a great job, but I really wanted to travel (There is a big world out there) Society tells you to settle down, make some money and enter this unpleasant housing market.
Travelling gives you the chance to learn some truth's
I had the opportunity to live in
Colombia, I thought about it! Sure, I had some bad thoughts too, lost some sleep, it's a big decision, start questioning it, but in the end, I thought what have I got to lose, in fact, I have more to gain.
Coffee farms up in the Andes, near Ibague Colombia
Routine
Putting long term travelling into perspective, time and day has little meaning, only if you need to catch an aeroplane to your next destination.
At some point on your travels, there is no getting away from a routine, if you are happy what you are doing, then it does not become complacent by it. You are more likely to learn something new and lose nothing in the process.
Travelling long term does mean you will need to find places to stay, meals, buses to the next place or cross borders. Travelling with just the stuff you can fit in your backpack, is all you need to experience what life has to offer.
Explore like you are discovering a country for the first time
To have a better perception of the place you are visiting, I can highly recommend living it a little bit like a local, by living with a local family. One of the best experiences you will have while travelling, as you will be of the mind, that when you come to a place, you want to feel that you know you are really there.
Family stay in Colombia - BBQ
Developing countries
Anything you read, watch on the news or what your friends 'who have not travelled' will tell you it's all bad news, kidnapping, terrorists and war. Be careful, don't go there! In my experience, people will help you, then hurt you. Locals take great pride in showing us 'the traveller' their world, whatever the culture you would not believe the length of hospitably people will go through. They would even give up their bed, for sleeping on the floor without you knowing.
Sure you need to be cautious, there will be places to avoid, protect yourself and your items against petty crime.
"Its such a contrast feeling more at home in a foreign country, than perhaps feeling an outsider in your city"
Travel experiences will forever shape your view of the world
People you meet; they are warm and friendliness make the paradise that shapes the world we are in. They take you to the places you never knew existed, they make you want to get off the couch and see more.
This is possible the truth I am so attracted to travelling to the Latin parts of the world, as it is easy to love the people as they love you back. This goes for any part of the world I have travelled to, even the short trips I do when discovering my backyard in the UK, it's the people you encounter and to share those moments with, that makes it all worth it.
I would not trade experiencing our beautiful world as much possible as I can and the excitement that travel offers even with the challenges and sometimes exhaustion of long term travelling, for anything. I have been fortunate to chase my passion and continue to be a free spirit. I have travelled around the world and visited some 30 countries, I am not ticking off a bucket list of countries, I enjoy returning many times as they have become a place with a feeling of home.
Every-time you get stressed, pack a good state of mind and go put yourself in the great outdoors.
Connecting with nature - By staying longer, get into the woods, up in the mountains, spend the night camping, have a campfire and wake-up in the morning, you will have a wonderful feeling.
Your potential is endless. Make your life an epic journey. Go do what you were created to do....................
