10 Ways to Travel Further, Longer and Happier

10 Ways to Travel Further, Longer and Happier

When I was twenty years old I left school, bought a backpack and caught a one way flight to India without a guidebook, cell phone or any sort of plan. When my plane touched down it took me an hour to build up the courage to exit the airport and an entire day to leave my hotel room. I was young and I was scared but the greatest gift I have ever given myself was finding the bravery to step out into the world. As I’ve grown older stumbling my way across continents and holding hands with strangers I think about the homesick girl standing in an airport in New Delhi. If I had the chance to hand her a letter before she walked out those doors, this is what it would would say.

1.You don’t have to go far, as long as you go

"...But you, you should listen to the jet streams blowing through your heart. Routine and squareness and boring will box you in and corner you unless you fight it. Especially when you're young. Once you have the machine of your life's work operating, you can worry a little less about getting boxed in. But you, miss, are quite a few years away from that." -Colin Warren

Not every trip has to be a dream destination that breaks the bank. Take a day off work to explore your hometown or turn a weekend into a mini road trip to the countryside. When your feet feel like wandering but your heart isn’t set on a particular place follow the sales, take a bus or try the train. As you go seek out the unfamiliar and let it move you. When you have the option between first and third class take the latter. History is written by old men in closed rooms, you will learn far more about a country by speaking with it’s people and wandering it’s streets.

2. Skip the hotel, Mingle with strangers

I spent this summer in the Alaskan Interior because of a chance meeting on a sailboat to Cuba and my first encounter with the people dearest to my heart was atop a taxi van in Chiang Mai. The point? Speaking with strangers and choosing to stay in hostels or with Couchsurfing hosts has introduced me to some of the most important people in my life.

While having a room to yourself can be nice it’s also isolating and rather than paying to be alone consider staying in a hostel where a bed can be a fraction of the price. It’s not only much less expensive but will leave you in the company of dozens of other travelers that come from all over the world and who make great exploration partners. When you are looking to learn a city you don’t need much more than a place to lay your head after a long day of taking in the sights and some sweet friends to experience it with.

Couchsurfing.org can introduce you to hosts that are able to show you parts of the city you would never discover on your own and will give you a unique opportunity to interact with individuals who are different from yourself. The website is filled with interesting people that if they do choose to host you will allow you to stay at their home free of charge and while it’s not required I would definitely recommend keeping the good karma going and giving your host a small gift or at least buying lunch as a thank you. If the idea of staying with someone you don't know doesn't settle well with you there is always the option to meet up with a local host or go to a couch surfing event instead.

3. Share your talents!

A few years ago I found myself in grungy travelers clothes acting as a second shooter for the wedding of an Editor for India’s Elle Magazine in Mumbai and the experience allowed me to begin a portfolio that would lead to opportunities photographing weddings when I arrived back home.

We all have our thing and whether it’s music, photography, cooking, bracelet making or computer programming travel gives us the option to share our talents while on the road.

I know there is no such thing as a free lunch but bartering skills can be a great tool for making your dollar stretch further and can act as foot in the door with local talent. A free nights stay, discounted tours or great meals are much easier to come by than you think. Talk to the hostel owners or a local venue about putting on a small concert in trade for a free bar tab or use your photography skills for free climbing gear with a guide company, the opportunities are endless, it just takes asking.

Even if your talents don't lead to a discounted stay the chance to share with the travelers around you can turn out to be a treasure in itself.

4. Save Your Pennies

I know that dress is to die for and a cup of coffee in the morning seems crucial but all of those little expenses are adding up to take a big time bite out of your adventure time. Whether or not you are an avid traveler or prefer to stay in your hometown think of saving as a self made safety net for your older self. I know putting away money while on the road can be difficult to do, especially when there are so many places to visit but you never know when a rainy day will hit and hiding away a few hundred dollars in a place where you won’t spend it on a plane ticket will pay off in the long run.

5. Keep your brain on it’s toes

A friend and I were wandering around Burning Man this summer and as an art car blaring old-time jazz drove by he began to do the Charleston Slide without missing a beat. When I asked him where on earth he'd learned his moves he explained to me that he spent a summer traveling through Europe and used the opportunity to download videos from Youtube and taught himself to dance in the local parks.

Whether it’s street smarts, an interesting new dish or how to ride a motorcycle you are always learning while on the road and it turns out you don't really need that much space to do so. Even traveling can has a way of taking on routine and a good way to keep your noggin happy is learning as you go. Sites like Coursera.org and General Assembly (https://generalassemb.ly/) offer free open source courses from prestigious universities around the world online, most of which that you can pursue at your own pace.

On the flip side have you wanted to quite smoking or try out a new hairstyle? Give it a shot on the road! No one here knows you and whoever you want to be, you have the chance to try. Change doesn't come instantaneously, instead it works slowly, building in you piece by piece until one day, you realize you are no longer who you were when you stepped out your front door. Even something small like forcing yourself to stretch every morning can lead to finally tackling that yoga pose you've been procrastinating to learn. So go ahead, put yourself out there...you never know where it can lead!

6. Ou pale Creole?

One of my best friends growing up was deaf and coming to find out ASL was commonly used in Thailand led to one of my most unique travel experiences and allowed me to spend Songkran with a group locals that I would never be able to communicate with under normal circumstances.

Learning a few phrases and words in a local language can make a trip exponentially easier while also allowing you to interact and learn from those that don’t happen to speak english. Not only will it help you navigate menus and streets it will also show the natives that you are willing to try and speak the language…even if it doesn't always quite come out sounding right.

7. Write your heart out

Once you begin to travel so many things will happen in your life that are amazing, inspiring, and important and having a journal to look back on will become your most valuable souvenir. You don’t have to write everyday or even every week but having the option to jot down when you feel happy or alone can mean a lot both at the time and in the long run. I cannot promise that leaving will solve the questions in your heart just as I cannot promise you will arrive safely at the end of your journey. But, through your uncertainty, when the world calls your name, listen. Listen to the suits and the corner store beggars, to the ocean's edge and city streets. As you go open your ears to everything with patience, even silence has something to say if you are willing to be still. Through planes and love and foreign ground, tired as you may be, turn, and then listen to yourself.

Your restless heart isn't getting any younger,

now tell me,

what does it say?

8. Less screen time, more face time

Your travels will take you up mountains and across rivers, don’t miss it by gazing at your phone! While keeping in touch is nice try not to let it take up your time while you are in the company of new friends or in a cafe. When you leave yourself open to conversation there is no telling what you will learn or who you will meet. As you wander learn about others, find out what makes them happy and what scares them. The ideas and values you discover will in turn help you hone in on the things in your life that you cherish.

9. It’s okay miss home

Regardless of where you are and the quality of your company there will always be a bout of homesickness at some point, do not let this loneliness dissuade you. If you find yourself in a corner of the world surrounded by unfamiliarity take some time to yourself. Find a quiet cafe to write a letter to the bright lights in your life or splurge on a hotel room for one. Our feet have already taken us this far, remember to trust in them.

And for the bad days:

The clock doesn't stop,

So,

When the wind blows and the rain rains,

Turn on the Great Lady's "Kozmic Blues",

Lace up,

Chin up,

And just...

Go.

10. Open your heart

When we close ourselves off in order to protect we are not traveling but merely moving from one place to the next. Feel everything, allow yourself to be vulnerable to the road ahead, trust when given the chance and leave when your gut tells you to run. Let yourself feel this world with the intensity of new eyes and an open soul.

So dear homesick girl standing in the New Delhi Airport, fall in love with this world like it’s all you've got, because after all, it is.

An open love letter to the world:

Darling, Give me wrinkles so deep my face becomes a map of my love Give me split ends from the wind and sea salt kissing my scalp Give me hard knocks, a soft touch, and ears that call beauty Let my eyes fade having known wonder Gift me the courage to be kind And a shape shifter heart for all is not. Life, In return I promise to give you my twenty three year best, To try, and then, Try harder. To seek. To love you back with everything these open palms have to give.

Photosource: Pinterest

#wayward #artofleaving #love #travel #wander #traveltips