Travel: a resource war on the wallet

The best thing about travel, besides the trip itself, is being able to experience it all without breaking the bank. While sometimes we just have to go all out and treat ourselves to elite hospitality, other times it is not only necessary to keep a budget, but doing so can also make a trip more interesting. It’s undoubtedly true that most people enjoy a challenge from time to time, and never will travel fail to provide the opportunity to be given a multitude of challenges. Think about it, when visiting a new city, in a short period of time you’re trying to master navigation of that city, learn the subways or bus system, find the good-off the mainline-restaurants, figure out the currency, memorize a few words and phrases for getting around, and so on. And this can be just over a three-day weekend. Oh, and that doesn’t include the safety aspect of traveling; that alone is a task of its own. We probably underestimate just how great of multi-taskers we actually become when travelling.

“When returning home from a trip, a person should feel rejuvenated and motivated to go again, not feeling like they have to postpone the next one because they just can’t afford it.”

As we all know, traveling can become expensive quick. However, if you’re conscientious about spending and how or where or what money goes to, you’ll also see that you may surprisingly come in under budget by the end of the trip. And while you may have a few ways of your own to save those pennies, here are a couple of options we’ve given you to consider:

• Food trucks and fruit carts

Think about it, a trip may be a good time to trim down the caloric intake and eat healthy for a change. While there are plenty of possibilities to overdo it on eating, many tourist dense cities will offer plenty of fruit cart options. If you are the kind of person who keeps a bag on you while walking around, its too easy to have a few apples, bananas, or otherwise close to you, so that when you do feel the need to snack, you can do so with a healthy and very inexpensive piece of fruit. And not only are fruit carts handy, but food trucks are also a great way to experience local cuisine (especially if you plan to visit Thailand); they are far less expensive then a restaurant dining, saving you the cost of service and plated food.

Photo by Héctor Martínez on Unsplash

•  Public transportation

How great is it to be able to move around a large city for the cost of pennies on the dollar? Even in a large city like Manhattan, a person can literally traverse the city for less than $10, which a strong contrast to what they may pay in taxi or Uber fees. And if for some reason they decide to use their own vehicle, the cost of parking, gas, and time costs far outnumber the public transportation ones. And speaking of time costs, how great is it to be delivered close to the location you are planning to visit, and NOT have to worry about finding a parking space or feed a meter? Nope, instead you can step off the station and just head straight in.

• Minimize amenity needs

Sites like Airbnb and VRBO have really made the travel experience a much more personal and affordable one for many. It used to be either overpriced and under-quality rooms at a hotel, or cheap and even further under-quality rooms at a different hotel. Or, there was always the option for luxurious, but that’s no money saver. Though today we have the choice to experience a new place from the perspective of a local; at least to some degree. Renting a flat from a local is a great way to weed out those unsavory locations, save money, and even better, have the opportunity to cook your own meals. Sure you won’t have the room service or ice machine down the hall, but you WILL have a unique setup of your own, and for a better price. And if that option is still too expensive, there are always the hostels.

Just remember at the end of the day, there are options for saving money and minimizing costs; you just have to look around. Travel does not have to leave a person feeling broke or anxious about having spent too much on unnecessary things. When returning home from a trip, a person should feel rejuvenated and motivated to go again, not feeling like they have to postpone the next one because they just can’t afford it. Take some time before your next trip and research your options, bring a comfortable bag, research the public transportation day rates, and prepare to experience some amazing food options. And that’s all we have to say about that!

For simple travel planning and building a master itinerary, check out: https://www.planiversity.com

Technology, or steam gauges?

It’s nearly 2020, and these days the progress in technology seems to be a speeding snowball, demanding we constantly keep up or get left behind. Yet, regardless of the pressure that advancement seems to have, many are resisting it’s demand, in favor of holding on to the old ways. Planning is no different than playing with a piece of hardware, our needs have their own level of needs, and sometimes those needs just want to keep things simple. How many of us have that one grandparent or older co-worker who talks about holding on to something because it is “dependable?” Even though there are new and far more precise and better time saving alternatives. They may be correct, just because something is kept past its time does not negate its reliability. So, here are a few tips for those of you who prefer to dial it back and slow that pressure to modernize:

1. Find the middle ground

While it’s true that you don’t always have to bend to the pressure of keeping up with the times in all aspects, you should find ways to pepper in a certain level of technological use. For example, instead of trying to spread a little bit of love everywhere, limit your uses to those things that are relevant to your lifestyle only. We don’t all need to be on the same page, and have the same new phones, the same piece of equipment, or the same apps. A person can literally customize usage to their lifestyle. No matter how laid back it is, there are options.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

2.  Balance usage 

Perhaps the reason that you feel you need to stick to the old ways is because you are delving too fast into the new ones. Moderation is the key to many things in life, and if you get to a point where you feel overwhelmed by the pace of techno gadgets and applications, take a step back and move back into your comfort zone again. There are no rules in how fast and how aggressive you should be applying yourself here.

3. Step into the blind

Many times when a person resists change, it is because its either presented to them incorrectly, or because they fail to understand what it truly represents. Technology can be intimidating, especially to someone who thinks of themselves as being incapable of getting a handle on it. Yet as we often see, people well into their 70’s and 80’s are walking around with smart phones and navigating complex sites and apps. It really doesn’t take a genius; just a small initiative to learn something completely unfamiliar. Often when we think we are looking at a mountain, it turns out to be nothing of the sort when up close.

4. Understand that things are getting easier, not more difficult

The further one gets away from advancements, a certain level of confusion begins to cloud what things accurately represent. The goal of much of the technology world these days is to make things simpler, not the other way around. Without even trying something, a lot of times people will get a sense of it being far beyond their level of aptitude and comprehension. It happens to us all in one way or another, but its best to try to understand why we resist something and what that means to each of us individually. Chances are, like everything, the more you will come to find out about something, the smaller and more manageable it becomes.

5. Comes to terms

Technology is the way of the future, and denying its ubiquity is self-detrimental…to some extent. Rather than fighting the reality of the times, learn to embrace its ability to make life easier when and where it can. Nothing will make a person feel more left behind than being the only one in their circle not informed or taking place in something, when everyone they know is and does. And sometimes nothing will make us feel more silly than coming to the realization that we could have had it much easier long before this point.

Older equipment and methods seem more reliable to many, but its not often because those things are actually more reliable. When we trust the steam gauges (meaning dated ways and equipment) more than we do technology available to us, it can often boil down to a lack of understanding that alternative. Don’t get me wrong, even I prefer to use an older piece of equipment for some things, just because it is simple and reliable. However, in doing so I am resisting forward movement. Because the truth is, a person can depend on those simple things for some time, but eventually those same THINGS are going to get further and further away from their successors, and eventually become obsolete, and maybe even unavailable to replace.

 

Featured image by Ajeet Mestry on Unsplash

Circumstances get a vote

Planning and preparing for your next trip, you think that you’ve got every angle covered. The bags are packed, you’ve double checked to ensure you have all of your documentation, the destination has been researched, online check-in initiated, cash in pocket, and the automatic cat feeder topped off. Things appear to be flowing well, at least for the moment. Three hours until takeoff and your ride should be arriving momentarily. Five minutes pass, then ten, and still no call. Chances can’t be taken, so you immediately contact the driver, who informs you that he’s just gotten a flat and should be there within twenty minutes. However, the time that you’ve already factored accounts for traffic enroute, and you know that you’ll now be cutting it close, and that is if his twenty minute estimate is even accurate; it could be later.

By the time you make it to the airport, you are now T-minus ninety-minutes and the security line is long, but not to worry, you’ve cut it close before. You pass through and casually stroll up to your gate, thinking everything is back on track now, just to see that the takeoff time for your flight was just pushed back an hour, due to weather delaying the plane you’re supposed to be on from taking off from their last location. And now your only thought is that the small window of time that you had to catch the connecting flight at your layover location is now gone, and you will have to look into a backup flight. It’s now time to get in line with the other twenty or thirty people in the same situation, just to be able to speak to the agent at the counter, who possibly won’t be able to get you a flight going into your final destination, because many other people are also delayed and being shifted around.

Photo by Leo Cardelli on Pexels.com

This type of scenario happens daily, and so many people are affected by the constant little setbacks. It’s almost not fair for you to have to experience it, because YOUR only job was to pay for the ticket and get yourself to where you are supposed to be, on time. And as long as you are where you need to be, everything else should be doing it’s part to work for you. But that isn’t how it always goes. The problem is, when putting plans together, we never seem to consider the fact that circumstances have a vote in how things go. And that is just another way of saying that we need to expect the unexpected in planning. Whether it is travel, or anything that relies on external variables coming together to help one successfully achieve a desired outcome, there needs to be a certain level of expectation for those things that we ourselves cannot control.

So, how does one get around this issue? Well, the simple answer is that you cannot always get around it. Like anything in life, when you try to mitigate every potential avenue in something, you begin to work backwards, and the same goes for planning. When we attempt to get ahead of the potential for the unexpected, we begin to create stress in different ways. For example, you maybe plan to get to the airport four hours before the flight, instead of two, but now need to cut into preparation time in the morning. But maybe you prepared the night before, although at the cost of cutting in to work time; those adjustments come at a cost.

The answer to resolving these issues is not necessarily to defeat those variables with time and action every time. But you can minimize potentials by planning, planning, and planning. Try getting an idea and writing down the other flights that arrive at your destination, in the event your flight for any reason gets pushed. With that information, at least you know where to direct your next move, rather than being at the mercy of random selection. If you know weather is rolling in, perhaps gather an idea of hotels at your layover. Or, one can also look into travelers insurance, if they think there is a chance for setbacks. The point is, you have to forecast the obvious, but sometimes its the not so obvious that will get you. The best that you can do each time, is understand that those things that cannot be controlled will always have a vote. Take the time to plan for contingencies and have an idea of what you can resolve, should the moment come where that idea is needed.

Tips along the way:

• Use a travel planning organizing service to assist you (www.Planiversity.com)
• Check the weather along your route before leaving the house
• Check in for your flight as early as you can (be proactive)
• Have an idea of where you can go or who you need to call in the event plans begin to fall apart
• Carry a few extra supplies in your bag, should you need them
• Charge your phone when you have the opportunity; a dying battery is sure to add to your stress
•  Carry cash, don’t rely on card services when things fall apart

When Travelling Solo

Nо matter what оur сhоісеѕ are and whаt wе crave fоr in life, traveling ѕоlо is оnе thіng associated wіth оur dеереѕt еmоtіоnѕ. We all іmаgіnе it, but rаrеlу wе tаkе a step оut оf оur mundane lіvеѕ tо identify, who wе аrе? Solo trаvеlіng betters uѕ іn еvеrу роѕѕіblе dimension. And, thе benefits far outweigh the nеgаtіvеѕ, so, why nоt juѕt расk yоur bags and make the most of it?

Things to Consider When Trаvеlіng Alоnе for Business

Buѕіnеѕѕ travelers аlоnе on a trip spend much оf thеіr dауtіmе attending mееtіngѕ, аѕ they еndоrѕе thеіr еntеrрrіѕе’ѕ interests. Between limited day time remaining fоr personal аmuѕеmеnt аnd not knоwіng anyone in the city, a vасаnt schedule іѕ sadly wasted іn a hоtеl rооm. But buѕіnеѕѕ travel doesn’t need to feel dull, even whеn gоіng ѕоlо.

“while many aspects may remain out of our control, ultimately it is the traveler who wanders into the scenario.”

First thіng уоu need tо dо tо mаkе thе most of уоur buѕіnеѕѕ trаvеl іѕ tо analyze the dеѕtіnаtіоn. Thе Internet іѕ a ѕоurсе оf plentiful trаvеl information, so find out fascinating рlасеѕ to ѕее аnd fun things tо dо, even іf уоu аrе left with little time in the evening. Plаn аn itinerary, ѕо уоu dо nоt use your valuable time wаlkіng іn circles around the hоtеl. Many travel ѕіtеѕ have ѕіghtѕ-tо-ѕее аnd things-to-do linkѕ, which is whеrе уоu can fіnd a few interesting suggestions. Also cosider making a рlаn tо tour the tоwn аlоnе, or link uр wіth a colleague іf уоu prefer to go wіth a соmраnіоn.

Fіvе Tірѕ fоr Travelling Solo

When trаvеllіng solo (outside of business), уоu hаvе the flexibility tо go wherever you wіѕh whenever уоu have free time. If you dесіdе уоu dоn’t lіkе a раrtісulаr dеѕtіnаtіоn, thеn уоu аrе frее tо расk your bag аnd hеаd оff. Yоu саn аlѕо choose tо ѕtау longer if the рlасе арреаlѕ tо уоu, іf you mееt some interesting реорlе you want tо stick around, or if you lоvе thе ассоmmоdаtіоn. Backpacking іѕ a grеаt wау tо travel solo аѕ іt mаkеѕ іt easy tо visit mаnу destinations, and уоu retain the option to lеаvе at a moment’s notice. You wіll аlѕо meet lоtѕ of like-minded trаvеlеrѕ in bасkрасkеr hоѕtеlѕ. For safety, consider these five points when travelling solo:

No. 1 Always tell someone

The mоѕt іmроrtаnt thing уоu ѕhоuld dо whеnеvеr traveling аlоnе іѕ to let ѕоmеоnе knоw уоur іtіnеrаrу. Lеt fаmіlу аnd friends know where уоu аrе going and whеn. Lеаvе a lіѕt оf contacts wіth thеm, іnсludіng nаmеѕ оf рlасеѕ, hotels or hоѕtеlѕ and іnсludе thе соntасt phone numbеrѕ. Let them knоw what airlines уоu wіll bе flуіng, аnd other critical trаvеl information. If your рlаnѕ сhаngе along thе wау makes sure уоu lеt them knоw bу sending an еmаіl, рhоnіng them оr even posting a mеѕѕаgе оn a ѕосіаl networking ѕіtе, іf thеу vіѕіt іt rеgulаrlу.

No. 2 Kеер documents safe

It іѕ іmроrtаnt to keep уоur dосumеntѕ ѕаfе while trаvеlіng, іnсludіng раѕѕроrtѕ, visas, аnd anything you require fоr a раrtісulаr соuntrу. If уоu nееd mеdісаtіоn, уоu mау nееd a lеttеr frоm your doctor so thаt уоu саn bring it wіth уоu into сеrtаіn countries. Keep this safe аѕ well. Dоn’t carry all уоur mоnеу wіth уоu, stash ѕоmе аwау wіth уоur dосumеntѕ. Hоѕtеlѕ аnd hotels hаvе safes to ѕtоrе thеѕе іn and whіlе traveling, іt is also a gооd іdеа tо kеер thеm in a роuсh or bag соnсеаlеd under уоur сlоthіng. Thіеvеѕ аnd pickpockets can be a hugе рrоblеm іn some fоrеіgn popular tourist destinations.

No. 3 Kеер аn eye out

Watch оut for thіеvеѕ аnd use a bit of соmmоn sense. Dоn’t leave bаgѕ lуіng аrоund, еvеn for a mіnutе. For еxаmрlе, іf уоu аrе ѕіttіng аt a саfе, keep the bag on уоur lap or thе ground wіth your fооt through thе strap, аѕ ѕоmе thіеvеѕ аrе brаzеn еnоugh tо snatch bаgѕ and run. Wаtсh out for crowds оf реорlе; pісkросkеtѕ sometimes wоrk іn grоuрѕ and wіll crowd around you in buѕу places, ѕо уоu don’t nоtісе that уоu аrе bеіng rоbbеd. Uѕе common ѕеnѕе when іt соmеѕ tо vаluаblеѕ too. Keep your mоnеу аnd іmроrtаnt dосumеntѕ hіddеn ѕаfеlу under your сlоthіng and don’t wear еxреnѕіvе or flashy jеwеlrу.

No. 4 Blend іn

A good tір іѕ to trу to blend іn wіth the lосаlѕ and nоt lооk lіkе a tourist. Avоіd asking for dіrесtіоnѕ by checking out a mар bеfоrе уоu lеаvе your hotel fоr thе day. Alwауѕ look confident аnd if you dо nееd to аѕk dіrесtіоnѕ рrоbаblу the ѕаfеѕt person tо аѕk wоuld be either a роlісеmаn оr maybe even a wоmаn with her сhіldrеn. Try nоt tо wear сlоthіng thаt ѕtаndѕ оut еіthеr, іf possible dress less flashy.

No. 5 Thіngѕ tо tаkе

Handy thіngѕ tо take іnсludе a rоll оf toilet рареr, a расk оf cards, a bоttlе ореnеr. But also consider a charger for your phone, a calling card, and a list of emergency facilities close by.

Many times, a rhyme and/or reason are absent from common situations. However, in travel, we often cultivate our circumstances, and while many aspects may remain out of our control, ultimately it is the traveler who wanders into the scenario.

Thanks for stopping by, and check us out at https://www.Planiversity.com

Travel Speed and Efficiency

Why is it that when you fail to plan, things almost always end up hitting the wall when it comes to travel? Is it because when you fail to plan you actually plan to fail? Is that really a thing? Or is it that travel is one of those things that is incredibly dense in variables; not the least of which includes relying on others to do their part. After all, you’ve paid for the ticket already, you showed up early to the airport or station, you cleared your bags through security, you have the documents that you know they are expecting, and yet, things just can’t seem to go your way. And the worst part of it all is the fact that your precious time is quickly being thrown away or wasted by something or someone who you have little to no chance of compromising with. Welcome to the chaotic world of travel.

“This is no substitute for what is efficient; it is vastly underappreciated these days. “

If you travel by plane (let’s say a minimum of twice a year), you’ve likely had the pleasure of experiencing those times where you do everything right, but the airline just has you by the cojones, and sadly every twenty minutes or so, you see that ‘estimated time of departure’ time climb by another forty-five mins. And it happens not once, and not twice, but maybe three or four times, until you are now taking off closer to or after midnight. And now your bag is in limbo, you’ve likely missed the last connecting flight possible, you have no hotel room booked, and to top it all off, your eyes are blood shot and the headache you’ve been tolerating for two hours is getting stronger. Your clothes are sweaty, your stomach empty, and now you could care less if you spend five dollars on a bag of M&Ms; you need something to snack on after-all. Man, what stress!

When this scenario happens to you, its awful. But never will you appreciate more those times when things were on-time and efficient. I’ve been through airports where I’ve come in on an international flight and just sailed through customs, and onto the next flight. And other times (and other airports) where I’ve waited more than an hour to pass customs, and of course everything from there just followed suit. And many many times I have been the person sitting there watching that departure time drift further from me. This is no substitute for what is efficient; it is vastly underappreciated these days.

Value what saves time; those apps, those plans, those services, and those systems, all designed to make yours and everyone’s life just a little bit easier. When it comes to your travel, Planiversity is a software designed to allow the user to put as much information as possible out in front of them, before they even take the first steps on their journey. Knowing before going, organizing documentation into one single file, locating valuable resources at the destination, building a schedule, and many more features make the user one that handles what they can; those variables that are within their umbrella of control. When travel circumstances get away from us, it isn’t always because the airlines fail to get us out on time, or because TSA is backed up and limited to two checkpoints. Sometimes, just sometimes, it IS because we fail to do our part to help the process. So, control what you can, when you can, and use those tools that will make your life just a little bit easier when underway. At least control what you can control; try Planiversity.

Check us out at https://www.planiversity.com

Time, your only finite resource

It’s been said before and it can’t be said enough, a failure to plan is a plan to fail. Often times, there is this tendency in life to just make things up as we go, never truly knowing and/or fundamentally understanding that in doing so, we become an obvious resource wasting machine. Throwing things together at the last minute, or even just failing to throw things together at all, leads to a number of unnecessary expenditures, such as funds, opportunities, and more. But there is one resource that we all possess, are given for free, and only have a finite amount of, yet many times throw it away for little to absolutely no return, and that is TIME.

Time is more valuable than anything else you hold in life, it ties to everything; that cannot be stated enough. Money is earned and spent, and earned again; the chance to earn and replace what was spent always comes back. Opportunities are missed, but if you miss one, you won’t be denied another for the remainder of your life. Skills atrophied can easily be re-learned. But time, when its gone, its gone. This statement cannot be said enough. While many things in our lives will come and come again, time does not, so it makes sense that we should expand on every bit of it when possible.

Photo by Jordan Benton on Pexels.com

There are all sorts of ways to maximize our efficiency, in order to give ourselves more of that irreplaceable thing, but sometimes in an attempt to save time, we are losing it in the process of learning something that we may never see utility from again. Now take travel into consideration; its something that most are going to do at some point, many doing it more often than others. And when traveling to a new place, somewhere far away and foreign, time is being invested into learning about that place, how to get around, what to do and not do, where the resources are (in the event of emergencies), and so on. Or, there is absolutely no attempt to plan ahead, leaving efficiency to chance. Doesn’t it make sense to find the most efficient and time saving method to consolidate critical information needed, before arriving? I think so.

“Time is more valuable than anything else you hold in life, it ties to everything; that cannot be stated enough.”

Anything in life that fills your calendar demands your attention; anything from a few minutes to days, weeks, and/or months. If its worth doing, it’s worth doing right, and more so, being done in a way that allows you to squeeze every bit of potential from the seconds ticking away. Imagine a trip to Paris, France with no agenda, Rome, Italy with no knowledge of the best sites to see, or New York City with absolutely no plan on how to best traverse the map. While it may feel like more of an adventure having no plan, imagine all the opportunities being missed during the time you are getting lost on the wrong subway, finding yourself on the opposite side of the city from where you wanted to be, or needing to find a doctor during an emergency, only to pass 1, 2, or 3 of them on your way to the only one you know of, because you aren’t aware of what is close by.

If your goal is to make the best possible glass of lemonade, you wouldn’t buy a lemon, squeeze half, and throw the rest away. There is more to gain from squeezing every drop from a piece of fruit (fruit being opportunity or potential, of course). The point is, don’t waste you time. If you want the highest level of value in any moment, you need to have a plan before you are ready to execute. That’s the true merit. Just remember to always consider the one resource that you’ll never see again, once it is gone. And as I wrap up, I’ll leave you with this quote from famous entrepreneur, motivation speaker, and self-development coach, Brian Tracey, “Every minute spent planning, saves as many as ten minutes in execution.”

Check us out at https://www.planiversity.com

“Winging it” doesn’t cut it

Tasked by time constraints, moving with the lines, travel requirements and personal needs, whilst attempting to pull last-minute information together, there are always some who fail to prepare, although knowing that doing so will make things flow smoother. It is a time-consuming process to sift through information, pull out what’s essential, and organize it all; but it’s repeatedly done because that’s mostly what travelers know best. Yet there are many who know to anticipate what’s coming, because they know that when they’ve  consolidated and prepared, they’re ahead of the game.

Photo by Sunyu Kim on Pexels.com

In 2012, authors John Crotts and Anita Zehrer published a book titled, ‘An Explanatory Study of Vacation Stress,’ identifying through analysis where in travel the greatest areas of stress originate. This publication quickly became furthered by independent travel bloggers and online influencers since. To echo an article published in 2016 by an independent online travel influencer, about those surveyed in the making of the book, “The participants reported that the most stressful part of their trip was actually the trip planning stage, followed by traveling to the destination, and finally the actual stay at the destination(s).” The author also writes, “The most stressful part, which many people may not anticipate, begins before they even leave their homes in the planning stage.” Makes sense…

Uninformed, ill-prepared, and behind schedule; there’s no need for it. While there are just some circumstances out of our control, most travel stress we bring on ourselves. I’ve been there. I’ve been the guy who digs through his email to find the e-boarding pass two minutes before boarding, who has his itinerary somewhere else, and who is attempting to book a rental car on his phone, while clinging to the last few minutes of free airport WiFi in a foreign country. I can confidently say, to start right reduces a significant amount of stress, anxiety, and confusion. However, I had to know what wrong looked and felt like before fully developing an appreciation for right.

“When one knows what to expect, they keep circumstances within, or close to within their control.”

Time management is usually within our control, and so is planning. The best that a traveler can do to eliminate the potential for stress is ensure that they’ve done the best that they can to prepare for the trip, as well as prepare for the unexpected. Let go of the winging it, even if you think ‘winging it’ will reduce the amount of stress. Some people think that planning leads to expectation (and it does) and when expectation fails, they are forced to deal with stress and adapt. But studies show that the more prepared a person is, the less they are likely to experience stress; that can be applied to almost anything.

Admittingly, there is some adventure in just going where the wind takes you, but that isn’t something that can easily be embraced by the many travelers working on a timeline, traveling for business, or going somewhere for a purpose. When one knows what to expect, they keep circumstances within, or close to within their control. When the choice to forego preparation is made, and impromptu decision-making valued, it should not be a surprise when frustration creeps in. Take the time the plan in advance, have your ducks in a row, consolidate your information, and know where things are.

Check us out at https://www.planiversity.com

Like anything, experience has to be earned.

Experience changes an individual, often for the better and in permanent ways. So why should it not be fought for, sweat for, bank breaking for, and earned? Many believe that the best things in life are free; that’s true if those things are air, sun, and a view of the stars at night. But in reality, most things today are not free. Not the water we drink, nor the resources we depend on, the grass that we walk on, and even falling in love; it all has a cost. And with the exception of love, those things just sustain, not change us.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

~ Helen Keller

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If a picture is worth a thousand words, where are we with experiences? Stagnation is a sad reality, but growth through learning about more than we are, seeing more than we know, and pondering more than we commonly conceive is priceless…I’d say. Therefore, the best way to learn, see, and conceive more is through experience, and that is what travelling is best for. To be clear, a person does not have to jump on a plane and fly halfway around the world in order to feel like they are legitimately traveling; a neighboring state will do just fine. Although, an opportunity to experience the way a foreign culture lives can promote tremendous perspective in all of us.

Logically speaking, its not the actual experience that brings anyone change. Instead, it is the result of an experience that yields the high returns. The actions–our experiences– those are just the means; the vehicle, if you will. But the result, the facilitator of change in all of us, that must be earned. And the cost…not always a financial dilemma. Rather, the cost of change (of experience) is fortitude; its facing a fear of the unknown, stepping outside the comfort zone, and taking away the most comfortable aspect in our lives, and that is control. Without control a person is powerless, and vulnerability is the absence of control, something travel presents an abundance of.

According to multiple sources, common reasons for avoiding traveling include the following: no one to travel with, can’t afford it, the element of danger out there, a lack of time and vacation days, language barrier, logistical nightmares, and germs (LOL). What these reasons all boil down to is a lack of resourcefulness and/or fear. Overcoming a fear of the unknown, fear of loss, fear of leaving the comfort zone, it’s not what we are designed to endure. Our brains are designed to do one thing, and one thing only; keep us alive. A desire…that goes beyond survival. It’s take guts and a real f***it kind of attitude to say “to hell with familiarity and comfort, I want to know and see more.”

Like most things in life that aren’t handed to us, we need to earn it. We need to put in, in order to be able to take out something in return. Experiences make a person grow. They formulate differing perspectives, intelligence, understanding, and debate. If you want the experience, you aren’t going to have it given to you. To learn about the world you don’t know, you will have to take yourself from the one you do. And it will cost. It will make you nervous, intimidated, and timid, until you return home a different person than the one who left. OF COURSE it comes with a cost, but almost anything worthwhile does, so you have to make the effort to be someone other than the person in you who refuses to change. You have to actually try, and want to be and know more. Jim Rohn once said, “if you think trying is hard, wait until you get the bill for not trying.”

So, if you want to know what the cost of experience is, it’s life as you know it. And whether a person chooses to experience all that life has to offer or not, they should know that they will pay in any case. Pay for the experiences now, or pay for the regret later. It’s something to think about.