5 Reasons You Should NOT Travel
We’ve all heard it, and many of us have said it. I wish I could, but i can NOT travel right now. I’ll come with you next time. After the kids are in school. Money’s a bit tight right now, but I’d love to hear about it when you get back.
What’s really being said in the majority of these instances is “I’m not going to travel”; and if we’re being honest, maybe you shouldn’t travel.
The truth is, the “right time” never comes. Using kids, pets, money, jobs, etc as excuses is just a crutch. If you wanted to travel, you would make it happen, just like everything else you make a priority in your life. There’s no need to pretend. Travel isn’t for everyone, and there’s no need to be ashamed it’s not for you.
To help you figure that out, here are the 5 Reasons You Should NOT Travel:
1. I Don’t Know Where to Start
What’s the first step in planning a successful vacation? Do I start with a location and then plan flights, lodging, and excursions? Do I start by finding a flight deal and then figure out what’s offered in that locale? Maybe I throw a dart at a map or my bucket list and then figure out how to make it happen?
It’s easy to let this chaos take over our minds and stop our travel plans before they even get started!
I have found that one of the best methods to get out of this trap is to take a step back and figure out the type of vacation I’m looking to have. Deciding between a relaxing, carefree vacation or an experiential, cultural immersive vacation is the best first step in narrowing down your selections. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to consult your bucket list to see what items fit your chosen vacation goal.
By now you should have a vastly narrowed down view of where you want to go. This is a good time to check out budget constraints, timing possibilities, flight options, and travel reviews. Armed with this information, you should be able to create yourself a shortlist of a handful of potential travel destinations. From here, it’s just a matter of preference … but I can guarantee that the excitement generated from the previous steps will help push you over the threshold!
2. I Don’t Have the Money
I get it, travel can be expensive!
If you don’t have the money to travel right now, that doesn’t have to mean that you’ll never have the money to travel. There are lots of tricks you can use to save the money to take that trip you’ve been dreaming about. The key is starting to work toward your travel goal.
Now, let’s be clear. I’m not recommending that you start dining exclusively on bread and water while taking cold showers to save up for that ’round the world trip this summer. No need to go overboard!
For many people, the luxury of finding some money to save up to travel is just not a priority. I’d like to propose that this is still no reason to stop you from exploring. Maybe an international vacation is out of the question for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore in your own backyard! Whether you live in a city or a rural area, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the world. I and many of my friends have found great pleasure in taking in a local street festival, going for a hike, or just a stroll down main street.
Travel doesn’t have to be out of reach, and I’d love to help you find ways to explore this wonderful world of ours!
3. My Plans are Too Ambitious
What if this is my only chance to visit? So many festivals, so little time! I need to see it all to make this trip worthwhile! How much of Europe can i see in 2 weeks? Australia isn’t that big, is it?
Sound familiar? Many people, myself included, have fallen into this trap. When you find your head swimming, it’s time to get out of the pool. Trying to cram too much into any trip is recipe for disaster. Not only will it cause you to continually postpone, but if you ever do end up going you’ll be caught in such a whirlwind of activity that you’ll need a vacation FROM your vacation!
This is when a bucket list comes in handy, but not just any bucket list – YOUR bucket list! Not interested in the Grand Canyon – skip it! Does the idea of ancient history make you yawn – pass on that tour of Stonehenge! Prepackaged city tours not your thing – forego the bus tour! It’s your vacation, and you make the rules!
No matter your destination, there will always be more available to see and do than time (or sanity) allows. Slow down and actually experience the different locales and cultures. Who knows, a quiet stroll through the city with a stop at a nice cafe watching the time roll by may turn into one of your trip’s highlights!
Try to approach every trip with the attitude that you’ll return to experience the rest of the items on your “to-do list”. You’ll be much more relaxed … and you’ll be more likely to get on that plane!
4. It’s Not a Good Time
I can’t get time off work. It’s too busy right now. I’d love too, this is just bad timing.
Does this sound familiar? Are you stuck waiting for the perfect time to travel only to find that time never comes? Would you like to change that?
I don’t care who you are; your presence at your job is not more important than your personal well-being. It had to be said, and you had to hear it. We all know that “work martyr”, complaining day after day about how they can’t take any of their vacation days. Or that person saving up their allotted time-off for some time in the future when “things slow down”. PLEASE don’t let this be you.
Taking time off from work is not just for the frivolous or indulgent among us. It’s important for our personal well-being. Need proof? Here’s a great article I found on Entrepreneur.com outlining the benefits time off and travel can have on your body, mind, and even your work-life!
5. What About My Pet(s)
Many people and 1 or more pets that they need to consider when the travel-bug hits. Though family, friends, or kennels can be great options; what happens as those options begin to disappear? Does this mean our travel days are over? Do we really have to choose between our furry family members and our bucket lists?
Personally, I have a 16 year old Shiba Inu named Soshi who is a huge part of my daily life … so I get it! As she has aged, we have fewer and fewer people we are comfortable leaving her with. She’s not a lot of work, but she does require a watchful eye. We routinely adjust travel plans based on what’s best for Soshi … it can be inconvenient, but it’s definitely possible.
I wanted to see if travel was still possible with pets – especially aging pets, and I’m excited to report that it is! There are a couple of options that are out there. They’re not perfect (and you may still decide they’re not for you), but you can’t hide behind this excuse anymore.
Travelling in a vehicle is definitely the easiest method of travelling with a pet. When crossing borders I have found that as long as you’re vaccinations are up-to-date, and you have the associated paperwork, you’re good to go. I’ve done this a couple of times with Soshi, and my sister has done it more times than i can count with 3 dogs of various sizes (including a bull mastiff).
If your destination requires a flight, you have some options if your pet is around 20 pounds or less. Here is a great article describing my friend’s experiences travelling with their cats.
For those who don’t have the option of travelling with their pet (due to size, health concerns, etc), you still have 1 more option: House Sitting! House sitting allows you to continue your travel-lifestyle, confident in the fact that your pets are well taken care of by hand-picked house-sitters. If this interests you, I highly recommend you check out this blog from my friends who spend much of their time watching over other people’s homes and pets.
There you have it … the 5 Reasons You Should NOT Travel!
Now the choice is yours. You can continue waiting for “someday”, or you can get out and start exploring. See you outside!
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Be sure to comment below and let me know what’s causing you to not travel like you want to!
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All valid points! I am so working on saving money to road trip this year. I’m so determined.
You can do it! Don’t let anything stop you 🙂
Life gets in the way sometimes. If traveling far seems daunting do some long weekends, it still a great way to see and experience new places. Ready to do another 10 day road trip in June!
Great point Lisa! Travel doesn’t have to mean big expense and far-off destinations
You are damn right. The hassle of planning a trip sometimes just puts you off really, but one has to be very determined to make it work.
Yes, and that determination always pays off!
Yes! I understand if you have no desire to travel, well actually I don’t, but there are people who don’t care to travel. But if you do want to then there is no reason not to. All good points. Especially the local travel. There is so much in our own backyards we probably haven’t discovered.
Exactly right Edgar, thanks for your comment!
This is so true! And to think that I make these excuses sometimes too. Thanks
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I think we all do from time to time, but we can’t let them stop us!
It’s easy enough to come up with reasons not to travel if you really don’t want to. But, like you said, it’s just as easy to overcome those obstacles if you really do want to travel. Personally, I would eat bread and take cold showers to save money, but I know that’s not for everyone:) Thanks for the inspiration to keep moving.
Jennifer recently posted…Robot Restaurant in Tokyo: A Misadventure
So glad you enjoyed Jennifer! I totally agree that there’s always a way to do the tings you really want to
It’s so easy to try and get out of travelling isn’t it. I love how you’ve thought of responses and tips on how to conquer these!
Very true, and it’s all in how much we believe our own excuses that determines whether or not we accomplish what we set out to.
Money & time are the essentials you need for traveling! Such valid points!
That’s definitely often the case, but still no reason to hold us back because there are always ways around those obstacles.
I think it comes down to the type of person you are and if travel is really important to you. If you really want to travel, you will find a means to do so.
Very true! Thanks for sharing that great point!
I am familiar with all the excuses. The truth is people don’t really want to which is fine.
So true … and if that’s really the case, then there’s no need to make up these excuses 🙂
Good points! I hope to have enough money and time to travel all over the world, I’ve already started to see some beautiful places. How about reasons to travel? What does motivate you to travel?
If you’d like some help with the time and money aspect, I’d be happy to share how I manage it Perla! I’m motivated by my desire to explore and discover new places/cultures/experiences 🙂
All of these excuses are kicked around in our house whenever we start talking about travel. I put my foot down this year though and picked a week, picked a budget, and now we are deciding on some dates. It’s so easy to make excuses and then time just flies by.
Absolutely right Nicole! So glad you caught yourselves and started planning instead
Yeah, when you have a pet that is part of the family it does get to be a bit difficult. And it’s not the same having someone else take care of your pet. You cannot guarantee the kind of care that they would get unfortunately.
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So true David! Our dog leaves us with the need to make big travel sacrifices, but it’s all worth it for her happiness … and we’re still able to do some travel despite it 🙂
All very honest and valid points. I really do not appreciate people who travel more than they look after their pets, it is a commitment to have a furry family member and they need to be considered just as you would having a child. Like you said, it doesn’t mean it is impossible to travel when you have a pet – you just really need to be more considerate of that responsibility!
Great post!
Abbi
http://www.UpraisedLiving.com
Thanks so much Abbi, and spot on about taking care of pets!
I’d really like to go to Europe right now if only I could. I want to start planning on getting my Schengen visa. It will take a lot of time but I am hoping that I will get it. I do not know how others do it but if there’s a will, there’s a way.
Iza c/o Fill My Passport recently posted…So You Want to Start a Travel Blog Do Ya?
Yes, if there’s a will there’s always a way! Best hopes for an expedited visa for you!
Yes, nothing should stop a person from traveling. He would find ways and means to travel if really passionate about it. If one is not really passionate then there will always be some or the other excuse.
As true about travel as every area of our lives. Thanks for this comment Sandy!
No more excuses for not travelling then! I thought the pet reason was a good one but yes there are pet holidays too! I’ve read a lot about people house sitting places with pets, both the house sitter and the pet owner win with this arrangement.
Absolutely! Gone are the days when your only option was leaving your pet with a border or kennel 🙂
I had many of these same concerns when I first started. You learn that for most/many if you really want to go you’ll find a way. I love the quote “if it’s important you’ll find a way, if not you’ll find an excuse.” It really makes sense.
So true Nathan, thanks for sharing that! One of my favourite quotes too
You are so right, there never is the perfect time to travel. You have to just make it happen and you will rarely ever regret it. I think that some people think that travelling has to be far away from home, but if you can’t afford these long exhaustive trips, take few smaller weekend trips and explore close to home.
Exactly Riely, it’s all about the experience you create, not necessarily the far off destination
All of these reasons aren’t good enough! If you really want to travel you totally can, and there’s even ways to do so while growing your career (which is what my entire blog is about hahaha). Loved this article as it shows that no matter what your reasons there are ways to travel if you really want to.
So true Joaquim! There are lots of ways to make it happen, and creating an income while travelling is definitely one of them
Great advice! I always feel so sad when people tell me they just can’t travel for all the reasons that you mention. It’s so doable for so many people- even if it isn’t traveling the world for years on end, those cultural experiences are so incredibly important!
I feel the exact same way Katie! There’s so much to experience starting in our own backyards