Recently I was offered the opportunity to join a travel business. It sounded great in many ways. I do love travel. Earning money for it and inspiring others to do the same, great! But it really just wasn’t me! It made me think about WHY I travel and HOW I encourage and inspire others to travel.
So I wrote this about the opportunity that was offered to me.
“Ultimately, this style of travel doesn’t align with my core values. I do love travel and I love all the opportunities and experiences it brings. The luxury and package style of travel, isn’t for me. Occasionally I’ve done it and it has been great, even on my upcoming trip, I’ve booked one incredible night in an all inclusive and I can’t wait. However, in the long term, my travel will be to see friends, family and visit places where I can engage with locals and be truly amongst the culture. And more so, if I can go to these places and benefit the people, learn about their lives and share their stories – that’s the travel i love!
I can’t promote this style of travel because it’s not how I travel. I’ve been traveling for 10 years and some of the experiences I’ve had, money can’t buy! It never can! Because they’re lessons in life.
Meeting the children of a friend in Cambodia after they visited a temple at 4am and him introducing me as his sister – a bond formed after two cycle trips and now I’m family. Staying in the home of a friend in Germany, learning about bee-keeping from the grandfather and sharing a beer from the local area with him. Sitting on the banks of the Ganges in India with a sadhu learning about his 60 years of wisdom as we watched the sunrise together. Booking a hostel in Tulum, Mexico, and choosing to forgo our booking, instead walking down the road to find cabanas sitting by the water that we could rent – the closest to paradise I’ll ever see. The friendships, connections and experiences I’ve had in some of these countries, I could only get from taking the chances that come from intrepid and unrestricted travel.
Meeting my Cambodian Brother, So, with his family
As I look to step back into my own business, my goal is to pursue this education and to share what I’ve personally learned with others. It’s actually not about HOW I travel, anyone can look up flight deals and hunt around hotel sights or read trip advisor.
It’s about my attitude towards life. Life is for living. And I want to encourage and help people to “Live a Lovelly Life”. So my focus is writing my stories, hopefully one day in a book, speaking to groups and sharing my passion for this world through my own words.
I know this isn’t possible for everyone to experience in the same way, and I think what this company can offer people is fantastic – an opportunity to see places and enjoy a holiday they may never have otherwise had. It’s just not for me.”
Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.
It’s one of my favourite quotes, I do believe it! If anything is worth spending money on, it’s travel!
But it’s your attitude to life, your openness to experience, that will truly be the thing that holds the most value. When you allow yourself to immerse in the culture, to let go and take on all the new and wonderful things in our world, this is the true wealth.
I’m grateful for all my experiences and I know there are so many more to come. I’ll have to spend money to get there of course, but I know the best moments will be when I just …. Be!
Lovelly Travels 
Thanks for sharing! And thanks for having the courage to turn them down in order to pursue what you are passionate in when traveling! 👍🏼
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Really lovely to hear from you. We can often get distracted but it’s important to focus on our goals and dreams! Thank you.
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