On the very first page of my website, there is a purple and green tree that is easy to skip over that is titled “Travel Principles”. It was the first part of the website that came to being and one of the most overlooked. Mostly because I haven’t taken the time to explain it in detail before.
My philosophy on the topic of travel values or travel principles is more broadly based on the fact that this world is HUGE!
There is so much to see.
There is so much to explore!
And often even the most well-traveled of us can feel like we are playing catch up.
This for some people might be a motivating thought pushing them to see and do more. But for some of us, especially if we are not physically, financially, or mentally able to travel, it can be crushing.
Let’s start by taking a look at the map!
. . .
Now tell me what do you see?
A few pins covering an area so vast and boundless it makes you wonder, what have I seen?
Maybe your map is covered in full. Maybe there are but a couple of pins. Maybe there is only one.
Take a moment and mentally ZOOM IN.
Take stock of all the towns you have visited hidden beneath one single pin.
Of all the people you have come across whose stories you have shared and listened to.
Recognize how much natural beauty surrounds you that others travel far and wide to reach.
Measure places not in terms of their span in covering this globe but in their depth.
And wherever you are in the world. Whatever pin you are happening to at that moment occupy.
Try to ZOOM IN a bit!
. . .
Travel Values and Travel Principles
These are the travel values that make sense for me to follow and can be applied anywhere and everywhere. You don’t have to travel far to fulfill them, in some cases you don’t even need to leave your house. Through mini-adventures, you can read a new book, explore a country through a documentary, start to appreciate a new cuisine or learn a new language, and become aware of cultural norms in different parts of the planet.
If you take something from this list let it be that it’s not complete, final, or absolute.
I encourage you to make your own list of the things you consider important in life and see how you can incorporate them into your life daily.
2020 Update: Especially right now with a lot of people in lockdown indefinitely it is important to remember why the ability to travel was important to us on a personal level. (without disregarding the business and financial implications of it).
By creating a set core of travel values or travel principles, we are rethinking the way we view travel as education and as something we can achieve wherever we are, as long as we have access to resources and live in a democratic society, where curiosity is rewarded and information is open.
. . .
Appreciation
- to go through life valuing those moments, people or experiences that make everything else worth it.
- to appreciate the opportunities you have been given.
Accountability
- to acknowledge there are things we could all be doing better. To acknowledge your contribution towards humanity’s wrongdoings.
- travelling as a way of realizing what could be done better and then setting out to make it happen.
Adaptability
- a lesson in realizing how few things in life are under your control.
- travelling as a way of embracing changes as a given in all situations and preparing your mentality to cope with the adjustments.
Awareness
- a lesson in realizing how few things in life are under your control.
- travelling as a way of embracing changes as a given in all situations and preparing your mentality to cope with the adjustments.
Belonging
- to set roots and to establish a new home somewhere.
- travel is about finding that you belong in the most surprising places
Compassion
- to understand the way other people lead their lives. To develop empathy, to connect with our fellow human beings and to experience their reality.
- travelling as a way of realizing our differences are not what defines us.
Development
• to develop ideas of your self-image of places that inspire you or of places that don’t.
• travelling as a tool of creating your senses, your dreams, your knowledge.
Inspiration
- to allow your experiences to give you new meaning in life, in art, in business.
- • travelling as a way of mentally refreshing old ideas.
Freedom
- to explore your capacity of creating and sharing ideas, pictures or words free of limitations.
- travelling as a way of realizing we are not all able to be free.
Passion
- the ability to explore what drives the inner working of your mind free from constraint and censorship.
- travelling as a way of giving your mind room to grow.
Relaxation
- to create for both the physical and mental state of your mind a protective barrier from the worries of everyday life.
- travelling as a way of finding peace and calm
Research
- where to go, what to see, how to get there.
- travelling as way of developing the skills of knowing what you want or allowing others to plan it for you.
Understanding
- to develop sympathy, compassion or tolerance and gain new perspective through the connections you built with others.
- travelling as a way of removing egocentrism.
. . .
Now is your turn! What are your travel values?
