Come Home With More Than Travel Photos
Travelling has a million definitions from vacationing at an all-inclusive resort all the way to epic journeys with nothing but a toothbrush, a passport and an adventurous spirit. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, packing a little spontaneity can go a long way to making the trip much more memorable and unique.
We’ve done the last minute thing, we’ve hit the road with no destination, we’ve gotten on a plane without a return ticket and all of these experiences have been fantastic – but it doesn’t have to be that extreme. What we’ve discovered is that even a well planned trip (and, yes, we do believe in planning) can benefit from little doses of spontaneity.
That might mean having a yes mentality at the resort (be willing to accept invitations to play volleyball, talk to a fellow traveller at dinner or go on an excursion). It could mean planning one ‘free’ afternoon to do whatever comes up – whether that is rolling the dice, taking the concierge’s suggestion or simply wandering. Or, it could mean forgetting entirely about having a destination or a plan and just seeing what happens with your focus squarely on the journey.
Why would you do that? Simple – it releases you from expectations (and you know what we say about expectations – they always precede disappointment). It also keeps you in the moment. Instead of being focused on where you’re supposed to be at a specific time you are exactly where you are. It takes the pressure off. Keeping to the schedule can be really nerve-racking especially when things don’t turn out they way you planned. Being spontaneous when you travel is totally freeing and a lot less stressful. And, the best part of leaving room for spontaneity when you travel is the unknown. There are a lot of things that guidebooks don’t cover, new places to discover, new people to meet and random chance to be had. These are the things you can’t plan, that you might miss out on if you don’t leave room to say yes to spontaneous opportunities.
Some of our best travel experiences happened spontaneously. Some of our worst did too – but even those were worth having. Either way, we have great memories and great stories. In the Travel section of our website, we’ll show you how spontaneity can enhance your travels.
