Travel is for Everyone
Let me say this again, the opportunity to travel exists for everyone regardless of location, age, and budget.
Most travel blogs tend to be written by people who have made the plunge and travel full time. This is wonderful and I often envy them. But if you don’t have this option or frankly don’t want this lifestyle, you can still travel. Traveling also doesn’t mean going half way around the world. Traveling can be local. It can be very local. To me, traveling means breaking outside your normal routine – experiencing something new, looking at life through a different lens, enhancing existing relationships through a unique and shared experience, or even taking some time on your own to meet new people and expand your horizons.
As I move around, I am often astounded by the number of people I meet who have never explored their own backyard. I lived in Utah for a few years, and most people I met had never paid a visit to Kennecott Copper Mine (less than an hour away from downtown Salt Lake) which is one of the few man-made items that can be seen from space. Or had never traveled a few hours south to visit some of the world’s most amazing parks (including the Grand Canyon). There are people who have lived in and around Washignton DC for decades and never spent time in its museums and institutions. This is going to sound crazy, but lately when I think about what it means to travel, I find myself thinking about the movie “Mud” with Matthew McConaughey. The characters in this movie live on the Mississippi River and their entire lives revolve around the river. This is a culture I knew nothing about until I saw the movie (I know the story is fiction but fiction movies/tv/books are a great way to get a feel for another culture and location). I now want to visit this part of Arkansas and learn about this part of the United States with its unique history, culture and traditions.
But even if you think about travel as a far off land half way around the globe…you can make it happen. Just some simple math, but if you save $100-$150 per person a month, that would be enough for a week-long trip a year almost anywhere in the world (and not particularly frugal). Or maybe more realistic, $50-75 a month could be an awesome adventure every other year. That is one meal out. 10 trips to Starbucks. Eating meat one-two night(s) less a week.
The luxury of travel is not just for those that live overseas full time, those with resources or those in retirement. It is for everyone. It is for you. Start small – start anywhere – but explore the world around you. You will be glad you did.
Start small and visit the attractions in your own town. Visit your state capitol or drive across the state line. Pitch a tent in a nearby national park. Look up the festivals in your region of the country. Or start to plan that next voyage across the ocean. Planning is half the fun. But if you don’t know where to get started or don’t have the time to start then let me know… I’d be happy to help!
Life Kinetic Travel Research 