One of the main reasons people decide not to travel is because of the cost. There’s transportation, lodging, food, (and if you’re fun, drinks), spending money, and emergency spending money that all come into play. On top of that, there’s the price-tag on that plane ticket. You weren’t even sure if you could budget this trip in the first place, and now you can’t even budget to get there.
I get it. It’s expensive. So, then the thought becomes, why not just save my money and stay home this weekend? I’ll be happier and less stressed.
But will you be happier in your room than you would be on the beach in Costa Rica? Will you really think, “I’m so happy to be scrimping pennies this weekend instead of sipping a pina colada on the rooftop of a cute beach bar at sunset”?
You may try to convince yourself that you are happier at home, but when you look back on your life, you won’t be telling stories about the time you stayed home from Costa Rica because it was too expensive.
Recently I’ve realized how important traveling really is in the grand scheme of things. When you break your life down, you measure it by important or exciting events. Graduation, buying your first car, marriage, having kids, etc. are all topics of conversation you have at your family reunion. But then there’s your cousin Joe in the corner, gushing about his recent escapade to Greece where he sailed around the islands and snorkeled in the Mediterranean Sea. The crowd of family members grows around him, and you’re left with your deaf-in-one-ear Great Uncle and your regrets for not taking that spontaneous trip to Spain.
I’m not saying that you should travel to impress other people or have stories to tell, however, you should travel to impress YOURSELF and have stories and memories to look back on when you turn old and gray. At the end of the day, experiences are worth far more than those platform sneakers that will go out of style in 3 months.
I recently visited with my grandparents, who are both in their mid 80s now. We talked about the weather and I looked through old photographs, but our conversation peaked when I asked about their travels. My grandparents have traveled all over the world- from the Dead Sea to the Eiffel Tower- and their faces light up whenever they dive into a story about their trips with friends to Italy and the time they went skiing in the Swiss Alps. Due to my grandfather’s bad knees and budding Alzheimer’s, their traveling days are now over. But don’t you think it means something that their main source of connection to a younger generation and the most excitement and energy they exude in conversation is when talking about all of the places they’ve been and the culture they’ve experienced? Those are memories that last a lifetime.
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Money is a currency, but what if everyone viewed time as a currency? The way your time is spent would definitely change. You would nurture it more, make more decisions based on how you are spending it, and maybe even be frugal with it just as you are with your money.
We have but a short time span on this amazing planet, so how will you be spending it?
At the end of the day, I want to feel like I experienced as much of the world outside myself as possible. That means letting go of all worry and concern, and making those experiences happen.
If you’re worried about the cost of a flight, then start tracking prices and enabling sale-alerts to pop up on your phone. Stop saying you don’t have enough money and start planning, saving, and even spending your money. You attract what you put out into the world, so instead of thinking negatively about your financial situation, think positively. Do what makes you live your happiest and fullest life. Yes, it’d be nice to have giant cushion of savings in the bank, but what good does that do you if it just sits there? Then you’ll be 85 wishing you could go ride the back of a camel in Morocco like you had always dreamed. But now you can’t because your body is, well, not fit to ride on the back of a camel.
Don’t delay life experience. We can always find the time to make excuses for staying within our comfort zone, but think of how much time you would save by jumping outside of that zone from the get go! There is no comfort in change, but there’s also no change in comfort. What story would you like to tell in a year? The one about how you stayed within your comfort zone or the one where you took a risk and a leap of faith? What memories will you be looking back on? The trip to Tokoyo or the trip to the Trader Joes down the street?
Money Makes The World Go ‘Round
But money also makes you go around the world.
So go. Do it. Experience it. Time is money, my friend.
The Fly Life 