The #1 Rule of Travel….

One of the most important things I have learned throughout my travels over the past few years is the importance of letting go.

And, as a PhD student and intensive list maker

… this has been easier said than done.

However, I have come to appreciate the importance of having a mindset of acceptance and positivity in order to make my travels (and my life) a lot more enjoyable. In this I can be both prepared yet flexible and invested but not reliant on things going a certain way. I have found this to be THE most important thing to do because, despite the best planning and intentions, things do not always (or often) go the way you have planned.

And that is ok.

But, it does certainly help to be prepared

😅

It has not been the events themselves that threaten to ruin my day, it has been the story I make about them and the unmet expectation I had placed on the day. Therefore, instead of letting a change of plans or a mistake affect my entire experience I can instead acknowledge it and move on.

The #1 rule of travel is learning how to go with the flow!

In fact, it is possible to even begin relating to these breakdowns in positive ways. Such as, when something wont work out the way I want it to (like when I accidentally booked my fight home for a day later than my hotel – haha) it challenges me to get creative. I pull up a blank page and brainstorm my options, unafraid to consider any out of the box solution, and I am always able to find some way to move through the ‘issue’.

In addition, I try to think of the new experiences this change of events will lead me to, what might I discover or who might I meet that I never would have before along my planned route.

Often times, the ways things change have ended up with even better outcomes then I had originally planned for.

Therefore, while travel can be a magical adventure filled with joy and fulfillment, it can also be an extremely overwhelming, challenging, and dangerous task to take on.

What makes the difference between them comes down to two things:

1) Effective Planning

2) The Right Mindset

This reminds me of an interesting parable I once read regarding the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. The gist of this story is the no matter the event, seemingly good or seemingly bad, there is no truly intrinsic meaning within the events that occur, it is within our own mind that we create these realities.

Happy Educated Travels!

♥️