Travel With A Purpose
So, you’re on the road again. When you were younger, traveling for the sake of getting away was enough to give you a fleeting high. Now that you’re beginning to feel just how fast time is slipping through your fingers; you’re also understanding that an irreversible change is happening inside of you.
Youth isn’t infinite, and your priorities are shifting. You now want to make each moment of your trip matter, more than ever.
How do you travel with a purpose?
1. Strip yourself naked, be brutally honest, and take a minute to pinpoint the reason why you’re traveling. Do you need to disconnect from everything else for a while, and forget your problems? Are you celebrating a milestone in your life? Are you hurting, and you’re grasping for a way to heal? Do you want to feel the rush of seeing something new?
Zeroing in on your “Big Why” can make or break any trip. It will decide what your overall mood is as you travel, and can influence how you view everything, and the activities that you choose to do. Beyond scoring seat sales from airlines, or tempting deals—give meaning to your travel plans, and gain priceless insight.
2. Tap into your inner happy nerd, and research on your destination. Why is this so crucial? Although the adventure-loving side of you will always allow yourself to be surprised by anything that lands on your lap… being prepared can make a huge impact on your itinerary, and fulfilling your Big Why.
Finding out ahead of time what spots are worth checking out can also help you stay within your budget. It can help prevent you from wasting time, and bringing items you won’t really need. What traveler doesn’t love a lighter backpack?
And how else could you have known that by taking a short walk, an obscure town had hidden waterfalls? Or that by leaving a place’s manicured lawns, and going down a dirt path, you could end up here?
3. In your twenties, accept that traveling is an investment. When you’re far away from home, and the familiar, you get to discover aspects of yourself that you didn’t know that existed. You realize that you can be more patient, you’re braver than you think, and there are so many keys to your full potential that you can still unlock.
Working hard, saving up, and spending on trips…these aren’t easy things to do. But hey. If it’s helping you grow as a person by leaps and bounds, and giving you long lasting memories, do you really want to sell yourself short when it comes to traveling?
Brave the waves,
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Go on A Stroll, See Everything Anew
It’s mighty optimistic of me to believe that I can stumble on new ways of looking at familiar places. (Even ones that I’ve gone to since I was a kid.) But I really think that if you pack an open mind, along with your other essentials for any trip, your usual getaways can still manage to surprise you.
Shang ri la Mactan is one of my super favorite beaches in the planet. If you save up or get lucky, and you get to visit it year after year though, its wow factor can tend to dull your senses. One habit that I picked up from my years of traveling was to clear my head, take a stroll, and prime myself to view everything with fresh eyes.
Once you’re near that crucial point of feeling like you’ve seen it all, pause, and choose to appreciate what lies ahead of you. The world is too kind for us to allow ourselves to get used to beauty and wonder, don’t you think so?
Brave the waves,
Stoked to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!
Sway Back And Forth With the Tides
I want you to think of that one person who has always been your source of unwavering strength. Are your feet on steadier ground? Does your back harden, pulling itself up so it can take on anything? When you hold out your arms, do you finally feel what it will be like to play with clouds?
I want you to picture the light fading from that one person’s eyes. For the first time in your life, they are quietly calling out to you for help. Urge your knees to stop buckling, meet that person’s gaze, and give everything you have.
You understand now that your changing roles will sway back and forth with the tides. It’s a revelation to think that the strongest person you know has needed you this entire time. Embracing that can be one of the most powerful things that you can have.
As what that person is teaching you at this moment, it’s by pouring out yourself—beyond what you can imagine—that you also gain fulfillment.
Brave the waves,
Stoked to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!
This is the personal blog of Mia Bontol. I'm the island girl behind Shop Brave The Waves, a clothing line that offers Filipino-made resort wear. Swim with me?
