Life for many is contained in a template that goes something like:
” Education -> Job -> Marriage -> Housing -> Car -> Kids -> Bigger House ->Bigger Car -> Big Brands in Wardrobe ”
..and the pursuit goes on for bigger material acquisitions. Studies have shown and supported by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs that money is indeed an enabler for happiness but only until the basic physiological and security needs are fulfilled, beyond which the pursuit of happiness need to diversify onto experiences than material acquisition.
Quoting the deepest voice of my soul:
Our life’s net worth is the summation of our experiences and travel is an investment to maximize it.
Hence, travel bloggers are the new age investment bankers or financial advisors to seek for ideas on building a Travel investment plan whose returns are exponentially experiential. Note that travel is a perpetual “Bull Market”. The returns are multi-fold, instant and dividends ensured for a lifetime.
The most common inertia or dogma that surrounds travel endeavors are:
• Unexplained fear or anxiety of unknown lands
• Perception of travel to be “Luxurious indulgence” or a “Expensive affair”
• Too tedious to work out the plan and prepare
It is worth quoting:
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” – Saint Augustine of Hippo
Anxieties exist in every sphere of investments we make be it in real estate, stock market etc. and the apprehensions around travel has given birth to the thriving Travel and Tourism industry that is willing to aid the needs of travelers of every type. From DIY(Do It Yourself) to Customized Guided Travel – the services are out there for the grabs.
Do check out the Destinations on Someday Nomadic for DIY travel guides that will optimize significantly on the costs and yet serve as a detailed yet simple guide to travel. Do not hesitate to reach out for more information/clarifications.
About the perception of travel being an “Expensive affair” — I haven’t heard this from the people who have traveled as the travel experience would have justified the investment. It is the notion that is circulated by the “nescient” or “travel-deprived-couch-lovers who know this earth only by maps and not by experience“. Anything to be termed “Cheap” or “Expensive” should be based on the value or return on investment and not its absolute value.
I have battled personally with all these fears and notions. Let us be honest, it is not easy to buy into the idea of “Travel as an investment“. But the reality is everyone has a Travel Bucket List for the reasons personal to them. All I would say is — Hold onto your reasons and get on the road! Make that start!
A wise man once said : ” If you do right things for even wrong reasons, good will come out of it“.
Just like fitness regime, whatever our motivations might be and whatever form of fitness we choose, the fact is , it’s the right lifestyle choice and let us get started. What is key is get started on Travel to get ingrained into our lifestyle and the course correction of reasons or motivations for travel can be an outcome of the relationship that evolves between a man and mother nature as a function of time.
Some of the popular enriching experiences that go on record are :
1. A photographer is born
2. A writer was born
3. A hiking/biking enthusiast was born
4. The wisdom of “how less we need to live a fulfilling life” that reading books or listening to lectures can’t teach.
5. More open to Life and its adventures : Travel prepares you with a life skill to face adventures life has to throw upon us with more courage
6. More alive, more productive and unleashing new talents
7. More accepting, tolerant, grounded
8. From Fearful to Fearless — Overcoming the long harbored fears.
9. Some of the profound questions for life answered in an enigmatic way and coming to experience some the most ecstatic moments in life.
10. Realization that “To Travel is to live” — A favorite! When you look back at the most memorable ecstatic moments in your life, invariably they end being the days you were on travel!
The below quote summarizes the experience in a blunt way!
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain
So why wait! Time to get started on Travel investment and book the next trip?