If you have been following me on The Thoughtful Thicket, you might have been wondering where I got to this last couple of months. Well, my journey to self discovery continued with a renewed need to travel.
Let me tell you a little story.
Where Have I Been? Planning Travel.
Last month, I was preparing for a vacation. We were heading to Florida on our annual trip to Walt Disney World. We had been many times but I knew this time was going to be a bit different. It was shaping up to be a whirlwind trip. Lots of things in a short amount of time.
Perhaps that is why I was not really excited about this time. I just felt I had too much going on in my life and I couldn’t focus enough brain energy on preparing for this big (and fast) trip. You see, I have been on a journey to slow down my life and become more mindful. I think I might have even been a bit nervous about going on such an action packed trip when I had been in a real mindful mindset. It was as if I was planning a trip that was the opposite of a vacation. Read more about my journey of self discovery and self care at The Thoughtful Thicket.
When I finally got down to getting my travel plans in order, it took a lot of time out of my day. I wanted to plan for every eventuality so that I could try to relax on the trip. A few things began dropping off my to do list. The time that I was devoting to the blog, I was now devoting to planning this trip. My work-life balance was becoming skewed. Some might say home life taking over work life was a good thing but that was not necessarily a good thing for me at the time. A lot of the work I had been putting into creating balance in my life was being ignored.
The Vacation that Changed my Path (at least a little)
It was clear to me that I did not know how people work full time jobs, raise a family, and plan a trip on their own.
Why did trip planning consume me? Was it my anxiety that was leading to over planning? Or did I just prefer trip planning over writing about my journey of self discovery? Am I not able to put passion behind doing multiple things? What was I distracting myself from? The questions began to circle in my head.
Once the trip was planned, reservations made, and packing lists checked off, it was time to go on vacation.
While on vacation, I felt I could finally breathe again. My stresses melted away. My perfectly planned trip was just that. Perfect. That week gave me some headspace to think about what I saw for my future.
It was during this trip that the idea of not being able to travel again became a real possibility.
After discussing our trip and future plans, my partner came to the conclusion he did not have any interest in travelling again any time in the near future. I, however, had the opposite feeling. I knew I needed to travel more. It was clear to me travel was an integral part of my self care and the idea of not having another trip (or the possibility of one) on the calendar scared me.
The Return Home
So, I returned home with some questions.
What did I see for my future and how could I get there? Could I be happy with only travelling once in a while? Was having a vacation on the books that important? Should I follow this path or stick to the one I was on?
During the course of the last few months the wheels have been turning. And I had an idea. I wanted to travel more, that was obvious. I still loved writing and finding a balance between my “have to do’s” and my “want to do’s” was important to me. Many people are putting off travel simply because they can not find the time to plan let alone travel. And, it is my theory that people hide behind the cost of travel as being a reason not to do it but in reality it is fear that’s holding them back.
I want to help with that. I want to help these busy people plan their trips while continuing to focus on my own self care. I want to be mindful about my own travel and lead others on the journey to real mindful vacations as well. Vacations that feel like vacations, not just the same stress in a different location.
So I that brings me here!
This blog will focus on travel. The idea is, I will still post about self care and how travel can be an important part of your self care journey at the Thoughtful Thicket but will collect all of my travel posts here as well.
As time goes forward, I hope to become a travel advisor and help you book your travel. In the meantime, follow me as I create itineraries for popular destinations that you can use as a starting off point for booking your own travel. I will also share a lot of advice on how to reduce the anxiety people have about travel – from financial roadblocks to nervousness of exploring different places. I want you to get the most out of your vacations by focusing on the reason you are on vacation to begin with – YOU!
Interested in learning more about my background? Discover my travel roots here.
