Suck the marrow out of life by reveling in the journey.
It wasn’t too long ago that experts in the travel industry were talking about “Revenge Travel”, a cultural phenomenon and consumer reaction where there was a surge in people wanting to make up for lost time due to the pandemic by traveling and bagging more experiential adventures.
Americans had vacation days stored up and they wanted to use them. Plus, as more and more people were working from home, the desire to go somewhere novel and experience life from a different perspective became the modus operandi for anyone with disposable income in their bank accounts.
Now that time has passed, and most folks are on the path of recalibration, navigating a work-life balance in more harmony, there’s a new trend: “Journey Travel”. Rather than focusing on the end point, the final destination, “Journey Travel” challenges vacationers to focus on the actual travel, the bits in between point A and point B. It’s all about being open to what you can learn and discover along the way.
Take your time and approach travel through the lens of enjoying slower and more meaningful ... [+]
After all, when you’re open to new experiences while in the thick of things, like working out travel logistics, you’re more likely to make genuine connections with others and find joy in the process. Plus, with an open ideology that is flexible and apt to change, when things don’t go as planned, your trip won’t be completely derailed.
In the immortal words of Anthony Bourdain, “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
Make New Friends on a Solo Travel Adventure
If you find that you desperately want to travel and have a newfangled adventure, but you don’t have anyone to go with, then try solo traveling. Challenge yourself and go at it completely alone or enlist the services of a travel company that is savvy to “Journey Travel” like Flash Pack, experts in group adventures designed specifically for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s.
“Many adults are experiencing loneliness and are isolated,” says Flash Pack co-founder, Lee Thompson. “One of the things we hear most is that life changing friendships are made while traveling.”
Adventurers can choose from a myriad of organized trips in locations all over the planet, from Egypt and Morocco in Africa to Thailand and Japan in Asia to Iceland and Spain in Europe to Argentina and Costa Rica in the Americas.
As a former photojournalist, Lee is no stranger to traveling all over the world on assignment. He understands the appeal of off-the-beaten path travel and meaningful encounters with strangers. Lee’s favorite Flash Pack experiences include climbing Rainbow Mountain in Peru and visiting Sri Lanka.
While most people know and understand the impact positive friendships have on our health and wellbeing, especially when it comes to improving our sense of purpose and self-worth, finding new friends as adults is not always easy.
“Many of our Flashpackers keep in touch after traveling and even go on other adventures together,” says Thompson.
Flash Pack is in the friendship-making businesses and they’re here to stay.
Plan a Road Trip
Travel slower and with more intention on a road trip with your friends or family.
Not all travel has to involve buying a plane ticket. With your friends or family in tow, or even your beloved pups, experience “Journey Travel” by seeing the United States via recreational vehicle. Explore our national and state parks, meet new people at local campgrounds, and experience big adventures right here on home ground.
Airstream has reached out to their staff and customers to discover some “Journey Travel” favorites. Route 66, the California coast, and the Florida Keys all made the list.
If an Airstream has always been the dream, make sure you check out their new travel trailers and touring coaches to see what the hubbub is all about. It’s easy to pinpoint new locations around the country when you have the comforts of home close by.
Stay Closer to Home
Try a new hiking route, experience a new adventure, and enjoy the journey as you go.
Of course, your own back yard will likely have many opportunities for you to discover this new travel trend as at its core it’s all about finding pleasure in movement and appreciating rich experiences all along the way.
Try hiking on a new trail that you’ve yet to explore, check out your local state or national park’s bird watching programs, make connections with others by joining a running group—the options for seeing the world in a new way are seemingly endless.
It’s a new year, where will you go next and what adventures will you try?
