When I started thinking about my next holiday it was very easy to put it off. The end of the 2014 very quickly became 2015 and before I realised it, it was Christmas of the year I had already planned to be overseas. When I reflected on why I had procrastinated for so long it was easy to point the finger at work, bills, stress, the never-ending string of friends’ engagement parties, birthdays, weddings, and the like.
I lost sight of the fun that I once had travelling, the relaxing feeling that is not being tied to a desk, seeing the world at your own pace, relaxing, discovering, exploring and most of all meeting new people and experiencing things with new friends met travelling. This was something that I decided that I needed to get back to, and almost overnight the fire to go travelling was well and truly lit.
What I realised in the months since I had been travelling was that I had the power to change my own destiny and take the leap much sooner than I did, but I let a number of different reasons get in the way. You can learn from my experience and make your travel dreams come true much sooner.
Here are the 3 top excuses not to travel:
Excuse 1: “I Don’t Have Enough Money to Travel.”
Money is a common objection to pursuing a dream to travel, but travel can be much cheaper than you think. Cities like New York, London, and Paris are some of the more expensive tourist destinations, and the most popular. If they are too expensive, there are plenty of undiscovered gems that are much cheaper – some of the cities throughout South East Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America can be travelled for a fraction of the cost. Saving can also be easier than you think – do you really need cable TV, the newest iPhone, or to go out to a bar every weekend? A little discipline can see you save enough money in no time.
Excuse 2: “I Am Too Busy with Work.”
Your job, your career, is important – not everyone can take months off work at a time to go travelling. It is very easy to get burnt out, especially if you work months without taking a break. However, travelling can be the perfect chance to get a break from the stress in your office, recharge your batteries, and enjoy some new experiences. At the same time, travel can be the escape that you need – a chance to re-evaluate if you are enjoying your job, or if there is something that you would rather be doing. Travel can give you the chance to make it happen.
Excuse 3: “Now is Not the Right Time.”
There is always something on the horizon: a friend’s birthday, a going away party, a house warming, a night out at the pub that you just have to be at. You may not think that you can miss any of these – but the good news is your friends will understand, or better yet – convince them to join you! If you wait for that elusive perfect time, you may never find it – life is what gets in the way when you are busy making plans.
Travelling is my favourite thing in the world – the opportunity to see new things, experiencing the unimaginable with new friends you met yesterday is something that everyone should have the opportunity to experience, and those opportunities are seized, not given.
So what is your excuse, and when are you going to take charge and do something to make your travel dreams a reality?