Welcome to my three part series titled “My Travel School Classroom.”
Travel has and will continue to be one of the best teachers I ever had in life. Of course, it has taught me and my family about the destinations, cultures and peoples we visit. But travel teaches and enriches us in our everyday lives from the inception of our travel idea to long after our journeys have ended.
In this series, I’ll share with you the lessons I have learned from A to Z.
Part I will focus on lessons that start with the letters A through H.
So read on…
AGE…
is just a number. If you’re reading this and think you’re too old to start travelling or your kids are too young to take along on a vacation, you’re wrong.
I started traveling at around 20 and never looked back. And work, marriage and children didn’t stop me. My husband and I started traveling with our kids when they were just 4 and 8. And we haven’t looked back! We’re now semi empty nesters and our wanderlust has not waned. We now continue to vacation with our adult children!
BUDGET…
can be a roadblock for many of our travel dreams. Not everyone can quit their jobs and start traveling the world.
And like many of you, I found it a challenge to figure out how working, raising a family and paying bills could co-exist with my travel bug without forsaking one for the other.
Well, over two decades later, I am here to tell you that it can be done. How did I do this? Well, I started off by viewing travel as another weekly or monthly bill to pay. FULLSTOP!! Please realize that I am not encouraging you to stop paying your rent or mortgage or to spend money you don’t have.
Take small steps.. eat out less, give up your daily latte and bring coffee from home, bring your lunch to work, save loose change in a jar (great for kids). Don’t be discouraged. Just a few small steps and you could be on your way to a great adventure.
And remember, every step outside your door can be viewed as a travel and learning experience.
COMFORT ZONE…
is something many of us find hard to let go of.
Fear of the unknown is a very powerful emotion and venturing out of our comfort zone can be difficult. But all ages can benefit from the stimulation and excitement of doing new and different things. Starting off small and building your travel history is the way to go.
“Doing” is what will help you conquer this fear and believe me, you will be greatly rewarded.
DISTANCE…
is defined as the space between two things or people.
But distance doesn’t have to define what travel is.
I think that most people believe that travel must be a long complicated journey, Unfortunately, this is where people hit their “travel roadblock.” Don’t fall for it! A day at the beach or to a local park is travel. Reading is travel. Taking a language or cooking class is travel. Going to a local museum is travel.
Approaching what you view as the most mundane of outings can reward you in more ways than you think and will help you build your travel history.
EAT WELL…
by eating with AND like the locals and trying foods specific to your destination. Expand your food palette! After all, this is part of your travel journey.
Visit local markets and try local delicacies. Eat with the locals. Take a cooking class. Food is as much of a travel experience as hitting all the hot tourist sites.
Click here to read my 10 Food Commandments that every traveler should follow:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/top-10-food-commandments-for-traveling/
FEED YOUR SENSES…
through all that our beautiful world has to offer.
Travel stimulates all our senses — sight, touch, sound, taste and smell. For my family, stepping out on the Rim Trail and seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time was an awe inspiring sight.
Click here to read my family’s Grand Canyon road trip story:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/grand-canyon-road-trip/
The sounds of the howler monkeys in the rainforest of Costa Rica, the smell of ribs wafting down the street of Memphis, our kids tasting their first oysters in New Orleans, touching the skins of animals found in Yellowstone. Travel is an all round sensory experience.
GENEALOGY…
has become a very popular hobby over the past decade. It’s actually the second most popular hobby behind gardening.
The popularity of researching “who we are” and “where we’re from” has been fueled by the sale of DNA kits and the many TV shows examining celebrity roots. In addition, religion and technology has allowed us to search for answers about our family tree.
While visiting Salt Lake City , I was surprised by the extensive genealogy library that the Mormon church has. The National Archives in Washington D.C. is another great source.
So if you’ve ever looked into your roots, ancestry travel may be for you!
HISTORY…
I can honestly say that I was never the best Social Studies student or interested in history. Travel has changed that for me and brought to life so much of what our world — then,now and in the future — can offer.
Standing in the Roman Forum, visiting Civil War battlefields, retracing the life of Martin Luther King is not only awe inspiring but humbling. It brings to life so much of what history can teach us.
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Hope you enjoyed the first installment of this series.
Click here to read on for Part 2 (I through P)https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=1663