Make it happen.
If you had told me a year ago I would be leaving for Australia in 3 days, I would have said your crazy. I would have said that I am not one of those people who travel, I am one of those people who are jealous of people who travel.
Now I am becoming one of those people who travel and I love it. I just wonder what took me so long.
How did I do it? How did I get here?
Plain and simple: I decided I wanted to travel.
It helped that I moved to a small island on the other side of the world, but really, it came down to a decision to focus on traveling over buying more stuff. I started saving my money. I stopped eating out (so much), stopped shopping (as often), and stopping spending my money on frivolous things. Every time I was tempted, I remembered that if I spent the money now, it would be less I could save for travel. And trust me $1 here or there adds up after awhile.
I set a goal and made a budget. I am stubborn and organized so once I made a plan, I stuck with it. Sometimes my stubbornness is a flaw, sometimes it enables me to do things other people cannot.
I stopped spending my time envious of people who travel and set out to become a traveler.
(note: this is different from a vacationer which I am not. I still haven’t figured out the art of relaxing!)
Along the way, I learned some important lessons.
1. It’s not easy. The temptation to spend money now vs. save for later is something we bombarded with EVERY single day.
2. I am a traveler at heart. I want to see the world. I want to learn about people, cultures, and other ways of life. I don’t want to settle down or sit still. Once I realized that, the decision was easy to put that pair of shoes back or skip eating out when I could cook at home. Every dime saved was another dime I could use to see the world.
3. Ask for help and continue to follow people who inspire you. I am still working on this one, but I am learning from those who have gone before. Traveling is not something reserved for the rich, it is something reserved for those willing to work hard and make it a priority.
4. Connect with people you have never met. I have made so many friends lately via the blogging world and I cannot wait to continue to develop those relationships.
5. Lastly, set a goal, save for it, and then just do it. Buy the ticket and set off on the adventure.
Life is about memories, adventure, and people. When you realize that stuff is really just a hindrance to those things, you gain the freedom to travel and live free. And you realize that traveling to Australia is not just for other people, it can be for you too! 🙂
