The Real Reason You Don’t Travel
Thanksgiving is upon us. Are you ready for the onslaught of foods that are coming your way? I’m all about the dressing myself. It’s one area where I’ll have trouble staying gluten free. But enough about food.
This is about giving thanks; stopping for a moment to appreciate all that’s good in our lives. All true. All-important, but why not just cut to the chase, and be grateful for the biggest thing of all? Being ALIVE. If it weren’t for that, none of us would be celebrating this holiday anyway. Done.
“Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
I love this quote. Twain’s not mincing words here. He’s telling it like it is. I mean, who wouldn’t want to live a life so amazing that everyone would be sad to see it over? So why haven’t you planned your dream trip yet? Why hasn’t everyone?
In less than 12 hours, you can fly from wherever you are, and find yourself lounging on a pristine beach with a tropical drink, hiking to a famous mountaintop, or navigating any number of new and exciting cities. It’s kind of mind-blowing when you really think about it… get on a plane, fly through the air and end up somewhere completely different in less than a day.
Yet, the #1 excuse for putting off your travel plans? Time. You don’t have enough time. Well, I’ve got news for you. Time doesn’t grow on trees. Time is all any of us have and it’s freakin’ flying by! Yes, I said it. Once in a very long while a well-placed cliché says it all. “Time is flying” —so why the hell aren’t you?
Remember when you were a kid, and one month seemed like forever? You know why? Because everything was new. You were learning new stuff every day and you were excited to experience it. As adults, with jobs and lives and routines it’s easy to forget how fun and fulfilling something new can be. And what’s the easiest way to introduce your mind to new stuff as an adult? TRAVEL. New places; new foods; new ideas; new culture.
It’s no accident that when you think back on an amazing vacation you took 5 or even 10 years ago, you can remember all sorts of exciting and fun details. It’s because on that trip, you were in the moment. Time slowed down and you focused on experiencing and enjoying the newness of where you were and what you were doing to the fullest. As adults, we spend so much time on auto-pilot, we can barely remember what we did last week. But you probably remember in great detail all the cool stuff you did on your last vacation, even if it was only for a few days, right?
Do you see what I’m getting at here? I am not just convincing you to take a break or take a vacation for the hell of it. I’m handing you the secret to the fountain of youth! Traveling will extend your life by making you enjoy it the way you did when you were younger… except now, you don’t have to follow anyone’s damn rules! You can choose your own adventure. Go where you want; do what you want, and enjoy every minute.
Look, I know for some people money is a concern, which is why I wrote my book and started this website to begin with… to get you to those destinations for a fraction of what you thought it would cost. Which is probably why you found yourself here in the first place. So if we eliminate the cost factor, and are aware that the fountain of youth is just a plane ride away… why would anyone put off their travel plans?
Simple. The b-word. No, not that B-word. Geez! The other b-word. That inescapable, pushy, annoying, pain in the ass, b- word: Busy.
Yes, Time’s ugly cousin “Busy,” rearing its miserable head.
Trust me, I know you’re busy. I’m busy. The kids are busy. We’re all busy—–weeks-flying-by-at-lightning-speed busy, can-barely-return-phone-calls busy, and certainly far-too-damn-busy-to-plan-a-vacation busy.
But you know what? “busy” is bull. And what’s worse, busy never ends. Busy is indefinite and never wants to take a break or shut up or leave you alone. Nobody likes busy, but busy always worms its way into everything until you think life can’t possibly go on without it. Little did you know, that was busy’s plan all along. Mwhahahahaha! Did I mention, busy also has an evil laugh? It does. Busy also has a secret lair. It’s pretty inviting actually: X-box, aged whiskey, and half-court basketball. But that’s a story for another time.
What you need to know about “busy” is this: It’s a trap; the exact reason you NEED to get the hell out of dodge and live a little.
After all, who looks back on a much-needed vacation and says: “Oh, I wish I cancelled my trip to Bora Bora and stayed home to finish that paperwork, and clean out the closet?” Nobody. Ever. You probably don’t even know half the stuff that’s in your closet, so who cares?
Busy is just an excuse.
If you were to block off any two weeks on your calendar, how many truly important things would you really miss? And how many of the things you’d miss would cause mass chaos or total destruction if you actually missed them? What things kept you busy in the last two weeks or even the last month that absolutely, positively couldn’t have waited until today to be taken care of?
My guess is zero.
See? You could’ve already taken that awesome vacation. And now you’d have something way more interesting to talk about than your last root canal.
Don’t let the b-word run your life.
Its way too easy to get on that treadmill and put off that romantic escape, that family experience, that incredible adventure until some mythical time in the future when unicorns live in your front yard, monkeys fly out of your butt and, oh yeah, —you’re not so “busy.”
In 2012, a national survey asked 2000 Brits what their biggest regrets in life were. Of the top 10 answers, “Not seeing more of the world” ranked number four.
Don’t let that be you. Stop putting off that trip you’ve been fantasizing about for way too long. After all, the most interesting guy in the room isn’t the one who talks about how “busy” he is.
Pull out your calendar and pick a chunk of time and plan your trip. No one will hate you for having a few weeks to yourself or with your sweetheart or with your family. And if they do, screw ‘em. You’ve got places to go, experiences to have and a fantastic vacation to enjoy.
There are very few things that an email auto-responder won’t take care of:
“I’m out enjoying my life – be back in two weeks.”
So stop screwing around on Facebook and plan your trip already.
Take that wine tour through Italy.
Surprise your better half with a romantic anniversary in Paris.
Make memories with your kids.
Walk the streets of a new city and get lost in the smells and sounds.
Your travel destinations are calling to you. F the B-word!
Celebrate being alive and do something new.
Today’s the day. Do it now.
You deserve it.
