5 Perspectives I’ve Learned from Extended Travel
Extended travel is an art and an act that can take your heart to places it’s never been before.
You’re given this perspective of a sense of freedom that you understand not everyone will get to experience in their lives.
There’s this feeling of contentment to simply be and appreciate the present without being latched on to any commitments other than the ones you choose.
Sure, it won’t last forever; but it’s a time in my life that I will always hold on to, that most travelers of the world will also tell you they will too. It’s something I work towards and seek for my future again because that time is so very precious.
The experiences I’ve gained from extended travel and that time I took for myself to live in the present has changed the way I want and choose to live my life.
Mike and I have taken time to ourselves to fully embrace the present on a whole new level and I can confidently say that it’s not for everyone. It’s a learning experience having all the time in the world right in front of you and getting there took sacrifice and a careful eye on our savings account.
It also took learning along the way to travel in a way that was far from luxury, in turn changing the way we’ll view money and material things forever.
It’s been the most liberating thing we’ve ever done with other more liberating things to follow after.
For 18 months of my adult life, time was in the palm of my hands. I controlled every single minute of it.
Every minute of every day was mine.
When I woke up every morning the day that lied ahead of me was completely up to me and I can tell you this, there is nothing quite like it.
It’s been 2 years since we moved to Colorado and started fresh again, in a new place, knowing not another person in our city. Life looks a little bit different now but in a beautiful way, and I believe it’s beautiful and adventurous and ours because of perspectives we’ve learned throughout our journey.
Here are 5 perspectives I’ve gained from having control over my own life and some of the words I live by in order to maintain my firm grasp on that control.
1. Nothing has to be forever
I’ve found that every other perspective syncs and comes back to this main one: nothing has to be forever.
It’s common to feel locked into something whether it’s your job, your home, the city you live in, or – insert whatever it might be for you here. But the reality is, nothing has to be forever. And when you have that outlook on life, your life changes.
You’re no longer stuck. You embrace the present more because you know that when you feel the time is right and you choose to just go for it, you have the power to drop everything, sell all your shit, quit your job, and go anywhere you want to and do anything you want to.
Sure, there will undoubtedly be a gazillion and one logistics in that equation, and maybe it’s not that you want to sell all your shit and go, but whatever it is for you: quit the job, move somewhere new, approach life differently, you have the power to go for it.
Two times I’ve left successful jobs to take a break from the grind and take control of my time and my life.
Did I have people that didn’t understand, or gave me highly questionable vibes? Absolutely.
But it doesn’t matter because you know what I could tell them now? Both times I left jobs and came back, I always found another and not only did I find another, but I started better opportunities at higher pay rather than working my ass off that extra year to “earn” that increase in pay. Increases are earned, totally. But that’s aside from the point.
The interviews going in were also much more interesting and less intimidating. Turns out, many people are quite fascinated to hear that you left everything behind, the standard norm, to travel the world and experience it.
They also recognize that you’ve boldly taken control of your life.
You can do it too.
The reality is that you do have control over your own life, you just have to take it.
2. We do have total control over our own lives
Even if it doesn’t always feel that way. But in order to have that control, we must take it and own it.
As I find myself just past my 2-year mark working 40-hour work weeks again, I have to sometimes remind myself that I do have control over my own life. That even though my days are routinely scheduled and committed to my job, my perspective now is that: it’s my ticket to getting to where I want to be. It’s a piece of the journey and right now, it’s a great place to be.
Because I have grasped the understanding that I have complete control over my life, it’s made me realize that I am no less than anyone else. It’s made me realize my value and it helps me maintain the understanding that whenever I’m no longer happy, I have the power to change that anytime I’m ready. I’m not grounded or locked into anything. My future and what I want is entirely up to me.
In our travels, we met people in all walks of life and one thing that remained the same in all of their walks was this: it didn’t matter their age, whether they had kids or didn’t, or where their home base really was; they were taking control of their life the way they wanted to for no other reason than simply because they could.
3. Embracing the present is a crucial piece to happiness
It’s easy once you’ve experienced the freedom of travel and the freedom of owning your time to always want to be planning for the future.
This was a struggle I had returning from the first 10 months of traveling abroad.
We moved to Saint Petersburg, Florida upon our return, a place that many call a vacation spot each year. Let’s be real, it’s where some of the best beaches are in the country. We lived in a place that felt as if we were always on vacation when we weren’t at work.
I had always wanted to live at the beach and there we were living that dream. Yet, I found myself at times not being able to fully embrace the present because I was always planning for what was to come.
It took some time for me to train my mind to embrace the present, and it’s still a work in progress sometimes but I’ve realized that when I do, it’s when I’m happiest.
When you take time to embrace what you have you enjoy it more and you take the time to grow roots in a place and to be the tourist in your own town and state and even nearby states.
I bought a print with a Tony Hale quote on it from a lovely artist friend and it says this, “If you’re not practicing contentment where you are, you won’t be content when you get to where you want to be.”
The words couldn’t scream truth to me more.
There is nothing wrong with planning your future, but don’t let it consume your present. Take time to appreciate what’s right in front of you.
If you’re not practicing contentment where you are now you’re not getting contentment when you get to where you want to be.
Tony Hale
4. Don’t settle for anything less, ever
Set your expectations high. After traveling the world, moving states a few times, and experiencing life by chasing what we want to, Mike and I have created a few dreams along the way that we keep in the back of our minds as a goal for our future.
Defining what you want for the future can center you back to the present and what you’re ultimately working towards.
Dream big and chase those dreams. Make a goal and figure out what you need to do in order to obtain it.
Don’t settle for anything less because your dream seems far-fetched or wild or crazy. If you set your heart out to do something, it might not be easy to obtain – from personal experience I can almost guarantee it will never be easy – but you’ll get what you want if you give it your all, grasp it in your hands, and choose to not settle for anything less.
5. Change is hard, but it’s also beautiful
Change has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s forced me to jump wildly outside of my comfort zone and gain experiences that I never possibly could have if I had not just jumped.
It won’t be easy, but what would a journey be if it wasn’t?
You’ve got this.
Because in the end you won’t remember how much time you spent in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.
Jack Kerouac
