2 Misconceptions about being well traveled
- Abigail Gaston
- Jan 13, 2019
- 5 min read
Ring! Ring! Vegas is calling - And with these deals, you can't afford not to go!
We took a 10 day, 5 city China tour for only $850 a person
Not one person I have run into in the past 5 years since I started my travel journey has stated, "I have zero desire to travel." Really, it is the exact opposite; most times I hear "I really wish I could travel or travel more, but I am just not rich enough" or "I just do not have the time to travel." Well, I am here to tell you that you do not have to be rich and you do not have to have an unlimited amount of time at your disposal to take a trip or two outside your city of origin, and experience a knowledge-rich world!
1. You have to have A LOT of money to be well traveled.
Totally false! If you are familiar with my blog and brand, then you know that I am not a millionaire. Heck, I do not even make 6 figures a year (yet, a girl has got to have goals, right?). With that said, since embarking on my best life journey almost 5 years ago, I have taken 45 vacations and visited 11 different countries. This best life journey of mine of course includes being well traveled. It also includes being well experienced and cultured, and saying yes to great adventures. I vowed to find a way to make my world travel and adventures come true, and money was not going to be an obstacle that inhibited my journey.
There are plenty of tips, tricks, hacks, and just plain helpful routes to budget travel. I have taken many vacations in the past 5 years and the majority of them felt as if they should have cost me thousands of dollars; however, thousands of dollars is not at all what I spent.
You definitely do not have to be rich and famous to be well traveled. You just need to know the right routes to take. If you do not have the time to discover these routes, you just need to connect with and follow someone who does and can DIFY (do it for you); someone like me!
We went on a 3 day getaway to NYC for only $300 each
(flights & hotel) through
2. You have to have an unlimited time away from work and little to no strings attached to a home/home-life to be considered well traveled.
False! The definition of being well traveled is totally open to interpretation by each individual. I cannot deny that we would all love a no cap paid time off work program; I know I would! The reality is that it is pretty much a no-go for most of us! I am not saying that no one has this lifestyle; in fact I am connected with some super creative and strategic individuals that made this happen!
They are entrepreneurs who have built and sustained businesses that now pretty much runs themselves; people like Richard Branson. There are others who have the ability to take their work on the road; they travel all over the world the majority of the year, and work from places all around the globe.
There is no denying that this is a fabulous and totally admired lifestyle; however, I am not in this position (again, yet - dreams, baby, dreams), but I have still been to and seen many amazing things over the past 5 years. If you are reading this, it is most likely that the unlimited travel days is not you either (we will throw a "yet" in there for you too, because everyone should have dreams). The reality is that the majority of us get a select amount of time away from work each year and have to budget our days away from work.
First of all, although the lifestyles of the Richard Branson's of the world outlined above is dreamy, you do not have to travel half the year to be considered "well traveled." I do not feel at all that travel should be a competition. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to travel outside their home city, but couldn't "well traveled" be a term that is open for interpretation individualistically?
Maybe well traveled to you means hitting up as many national parks as you can in your state or even nation. Maybe it means one to two trips per year. Maybe it means something completely different. And, why can't we say things like, "I am well traveled in the state of Michigan?" Oh wait, we can! So go for it, make up your own interpretation; you deserve that reward in your life!
Let's do a little exercise - I encourage you to think about your current life situation. How much time does your work schedule, your financial situation (remember, there are many routes to cheap travel, do not dismiss it because you think you cannot afford it), and your family life allow you to be away from home and on the road or jet setting? Sit down and write them all out; it does not have to be perfect; just a rough draft. Now, whatever you feel your magic number is right now in your current situation, that is your own personal well traveled destination; even if it only totals 1 week to start with! Now you just have to vow to get away!
What I truly want you to understand is that no 2 lifestyles are exactly the same. For example, my sisters do not travel as much as I do. Why? They both have children who are in school and many extracurricular activities to attend. They spend much of their time away from work attending sports events, meetings, practices, school activities and parties, and so on, and they love every single minute of it and would not change it for the world. I, however, do not have children and I spend most of my extra time traveling, researching travel, and blogging about travel, attending entertainment events like concerts and sports events, checking out new restaurants and attractions, and of course attending my nieces extracurricular activities. The point here is that there is zero comparison on our lifestyles, for the most part. Even with siblings you cannot fully compare apples to apples when discussing lifestyles. My sisters do travel; however, their travels are custom built for their life, where mine is basically any time, anywhere. One sister and her family mostly do summer weekend getaways and school spring break trips. The other does one big trip every July; last 3 years - Punta Cana, Chicago, Orlando and Orlando theme-parks, and then random day trips throughout the year. With their super busy and active lives; I definitely see them as well traveled families.
Take Away - Figure out what works for you in your current situation, then start making a plan. Part of what makes an individual well traveled is the knowledge they take away and memories they bring home from each trip, and not necessarily the amount of time away from home. If taking a day trip to a nearby city every couple of months is your limit, what is something new that you learned from that excursion and what memories will you cherish for years to come after returning home?
We relaxed for 6 days on an all-inclusive vacation in Cancun for only $400 each (resort & flights)
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