“Travel.” What a big word with a million different interpretations.
Recently, long term backpacking and vanlife have become incredibly trendy…as if those two are the only ways to travel the world.
But most of us have full-time jobs that require us to be in the office.
Or families who are not super budget-travel-friendly.
Or maybe we just don’t want that lifestyle.
And all of that is okay! We don’t have to live our lives out of a backpack or even a van to explore the world!
I can’t and won’t tell you how to live your life.
But what I can and will tell you is my opinion on 4 other ways to explore the world.
And maybe that will inspire you, teach you something, or simply be an entertaining piece for you to read 🙂
Road Trips
I don’t care what size country you live in, but if you live in civilisation of some kind, then you probably have roads. And on those roads are most likely cars.
If you don’t own one (like me), then you can rent one!
Get in it and drive. It doesn’t matter where you’re going because modern technology allows us to know where we are at all times…generally speaking.
But it can be good practice to simply wander without worrying about where you are going. It helps us let go the control we so desperately grasp day in and day out.
Drive for a day, or head out for a week. Or longer! Whatever your schedule and dreams allow.
Road trips are a great way to get to know an area- signs will point you toward popular landmarks, local drivers will let you know the road rage levels of that area, and little mom-and-pop shops will pepper the streets with community and culture.
You never know what you’ll find on your meanderings. Planning to get from point A to point B is incredibly efficient, but it’s also incredibly limiting. You have no idea what you’re missing on the journey between points.
For legal reasons, this is not educational advice. It is simply moral support.
Cruises
If you get seasick easily, then cruises are not for you. If you don’t, then read on!
Personally, I do not go on many cruises so I can’t speak to all of the great things about them.
However.
They definitely have their place when travelling the world! You can easily go to so many different countries or even continents without having to worry about the logistics of it.
Cruises offer a different perspective to the world (port-oriented, of course) that we don’t often get as land-bound creatures.
And your accommodation travels with you! Temporarily making yourself at home while exploring many different places is a luxury that backpackers definitely don’t have.
Hopping on and off the cruise ship at new ports lets you get a taste of a variety of regions with minimal hassle – you can leave the logistics up to the cruise company!
Camping
Ah, the great outdoors. There is nothing like falling asleep under the stars just to wake up with the birds the following morning.
There’s also nothing like getting back to civilisation and realising just how loud the constant hum of electricity is…
Camping is one of my favourite ways to explore! You don’t have to be one of those hiking backpackers where you brave the wilderness for several days on your own.
You can simply buy a tent and sleeping bag and stay a night or two at a campsite.
Spending time in nature can tell you so much about the area. Aside from the fact that it can be very calming to unplug for a bit, you get to know the people and the land.
At the very least, it’ll get you out of the house and trying something new.
Also, there is land everywhere…so you always have an excuse to go ‘there‘ to camp!
Day Trips
Day trips. My absolute favourite way to explore while managing a full life. This is my way to soothe the travel bug with minimal expense, minimal planning, and minimal stress.
It doesn’t matter if you drive, walk, cycle, train, or bus to where you’re going (I know people who have flown to Spain from the UK for a day trip!), just go.
Pick a place.
Go there.
Day trip complete!
It can be a lot of hassle to sort out accommodation, look into food options, research what there is to do in the area, etc.
But for the day…you don’t really need any of that! Sometimes I will literally wake up in the morning, feel like going on an adventure, and hop a train to a different town or city within the hour.
If I feel like it, I do a little Google search of my destination on the way, but sometimes I don’t! It can be so much fun to explore the area without any biases or aiming towards something specific. You never know what you’ll stumble across 🙂
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