Yes, you’re traveling. That means moving around from one destination to another, doesn’t it? That’s what your plan was when you started out on your traveling adventure.
And you’ve probably been having a wonderful time. You made new traveling friends that you hope to cross paths with at some time in the future. You’ve seen places that you never expected to see outside of the pages of a guide book.
But now something unexpected has happened. You’ve found a place that tempts you to stick around for a while, but you’re hesitating. What’s holding you back from trying this place out for a while?
• Will you be breaking the vagabond code if you do that?
• Will you be giving up your dream to see the world?
• Are you afraid that you’ll get stuck in a rut like you were in your home town?
• Will you feel like a failure for not doing what you told everyone at home you were going to do – travel non-stop as long as your funds lasted?
Dreams Change Again and Again – That’s Normal
Yes, just as individuals change, dreams also change in line with your new attitudes. Traveling non-stop might suit you for some time, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t make a lengthy stop in a place that seems to be calling your name.
As you move around, you may daydream about some of the experiences you left behind. For example, when you’re in Peru, you might spend a lot of time thinking about Thailand.
But after you arrive in Thailand, you find yourself missing the places you visited in [easyazon_link identifier=”1743215576″ locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”kl02b-20″ cart=”y” cloak=”n” localize=”y” popups=”n”]Peru[/easyazon_link] – Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and so on. This sounds like you need to pay more attention to the enjoyment you get at each place.
Staying Put vs Moving Around
When you move around, things feel more intense. Every day begins a new adventure. Maybe you like getting tastes of lots of different places. Those tastes can help you zero in on a place that you’d like to spend more time in.
You may find that your moving around time limit is two or three months and then you need some time in one spot. That’s pretty good lifestyle if you can work it out. Lots of areas of the world need English teachers and are willing to take them on for short-term contracts.
And you wouldn’t be normal if you didn’t sometimes miss having a little routine in your life. In fact, spending time in an exotic place can be almost like traveling since your daily experiences are far removed from your routine at home.
The dilemma could be that you may miss the stability of having a routine when you move around. And when you settle in a place for a while, you may miss the adventure of traveling around.
Maybe you’ll end up with a few places that you like to go back to over and over to use as bases for short-term travel in the area. The possibilities are endless.
Time Is Currency
Time is the traveler’s currency, and you can spend your currency however you want. You may have been using your currency to move around a lot for a while, but only you can make the decision whether to continue moving around or to stop for a while.
Feel free to take some currency and use it in one place when that impulse arises. Just think how great it could be to enjoy some of the routines of living in one place – but not a place that you knew your whole life.
Later, you may once again find yourself stagnating in patterns that become too routine. When that happens and you hear the call to hit the road once again, that will be the time to use your currency to start moving from place to place again.
Take advantage of having plenty of time to follow the urges as they arise. Don’t make a decision about which path to follow and then force yourself to stick with it forever. Time is your currency. Spend it as you like.
