Before we get into this article, let’s begin with a warm disclaimer: it’s important to remember that no matter how you define yourself or whatever you can afford either time-wise or financially, if you travel, you’re a traveller. You’re not “less than” because you travel once a year, or only travel within your home country, or haven’t been further out than a few towns away.
Remembering this can help us avoid becoming elitist or suggesting that you can only travel one kind of way if you want to “do it properly,” because not all opportunities are open to everyone, and sometimes, the humblest and cheapest experiences are the best.
With all that said, it might be that you’re looking to “step up” your travel approach, by doing more than the usual vacationing and actually exploring the countries you go to, feeling enthused by a grand adventure, and moving away from the package deals and choreographed experiences.
If that’s true, then you might find worth in the following advice. We hope it helps:
Invest In Mobile Accommodation
You’d be surprised just how much freedom a personal and mobile form of accommodation can be. For example, investing in hybrid campers will allow you to take to the open road and set up camping spots in comfort like you’ve never known it before, while enjoying a camper van, an RV, or even just investing in a fantastic multi-use set of camping gear can be great. Are you any less of an explorer if you enjoy hotels first and foremost? Of course not. But there’s nothing quite as humbling as time on the open road and in nature.
Soak In The Culture & Express It
It’s incredibly rewarding to fully immerse yourself in culture from top to bottom, and you may be surprised just how this can change you over time. A vacationer tends to see the backdrop of their holiday as a charming and enjoyable change of pace, while an explorer will often see to really learn, to adopt at least some of the language, and to immerse themselves in local history. Sometimes, the best way to understand a country is to take a small town and really invest yourself in it, as if you were planning to move there in future. This helps you take some wisdom from everywhere you go.
Curate A Goal For Each Trip
If your goal is simply “have a good time,” that’s more than reason enough to travel. That said, it’s always nice to have a more stringent or dedicated goal, for example, you might decide to attend Venice during carnival season, spend time walking a pilgrimage route, or visit a special place a writer you loved grew up in. Having a real reason that you personally want to explore helps you avoid “exploring because it’s the thing to do.” After all, you get to decide how you enjoy your time away, so don’t feel tied into an obligatory list for making the best time, you get to author your experience.
With this advice, you’re sure to go from holidaymaker to storied explorer.
