How to Become a World Traveler

They call us world travelers.

World travelers? Us? No, we’ve just been a few places. Other people are world travelers.

Then one day we were crunching through the snow talking to penguins and I thought, maybe we are world travelers. How did we get here?

How to Become a World Traveler

You become a world traveler when you get up and go.

You get up and go when you decide travel is important enough to leave other things behind.

It’s that simple.

There is no secret that I know that you need to know to start traveling. I know, this is about as boring an answer as “diet and exercise.”

Why You Can’t Go

Give me a reason why you can’t go and I’ll give you a reason why you can. We used to get bogged down by all the reasons why we couldn’t go somewhere.

If you have even modest means, you can travel, period. You just have to decide to take the resources available to you and put them toward travel. It could mean staying in hostels. It could mean actually using those credit card rewards.

You have to decide travel is more important than other things. Maybe it’s not having cable TV. Maybe it’s living in a small apartment when you can afford a bigger one. Maybe it’s not taking small weekend trips. Maybe it’s not eating out. I assure you, the more you travel, the more you realize you need less.

Decide if it’s important to you. If it is, you’ll go.

Wait. What about . . .

What about learning the language? Finding the right flight for the right price? Getting around once you’re there? Finding the room in the best neighborhood? Making sure you don’t miss the “don’t miss” sights?

You’re making it harder than it is. Really.

Relax. You won’t have all the answers. I don’t have all the answers. No one does.

Do your best. Make mistakes. You can be one of those people who has a story about that time when.

You won’t know everything that everyone who has come before you has learned. Others will make some of the same mistakes. That’s not a reason not to go.

Go. See. Do.

Just go. Make plans and go. Or don’t make plans and go. Either way.

Travel is like a drug. Take that first trip. It will lift you up and carry you away.

One More Thing

I got inspired and created these graphics while I was writing this post. I’ve turned them into printable 3×4 cards to use in scrapbooks, Project Life, or anything else you desire!

Click here to download Off to See the World cards

Enjoy!