We’re glad we traveled when we did

We’re glad we traveled when we did. With so much happening in the world right now (hello, COVID-19) and with some spare time to reflect on our lives, it has me thinking about what’s most important to us. And one of those things is travel.

I find myself thinking about this every day, and as I do with most things, I want to share my thoughts with you. If travel is something that’s important to you, how are you feeling right now? Are you like us and glad you traveled when you did, or are you wishing you did more?

If you find yourself in the latter category, I’m assuming you value travel and the experiences it gives, but that part of you might not be entirely fulfilled. I’m hoping this post provides some words of wisdom and gives you motivation and ideas to prioritize it in your life after this is all over.

Thought #1: We’re so appreciative for the lives we live

This thought has come to my mind so much over the last three weeks. We are both first generation college students and have no doubt worked hard to get to where we are today, but we still live very fortunate lives. Now more than ever we are thankful for our full time jobs that allow us to work from home and travel as much as we have. Sometimes it’s so easy to take that for granted. But now, it’s easy to see how easily that can be taken away.

Thought #2: Life is unexpected.

Life is unexpected. You never know when things are going to change. You don’t know when your last day is going to be, and in our case, we had no idea a pandemic was going to hit us this year, causing everyone to stay at home, turmoil in the markets, and lost jobs for loved ones.

We took a trip to Australia and New Zealand this year which wasn’t at an ideal time, but we did it anyway. And now that traveling is restricted, we’re so glad we did.

Visiting Australia and New Zealand had been on our bucket list ever since we started traveling together as a couple. But being seasons are opposite in the southern hemisphere, we knew we’d have to go during Minnesota’s winter, shortly after the start of the new year. Traveling there this January seemed like it might be the best time to go, but at the same time we would be absent at work at the start of the year when most people come back from the Christmas holiday and big decisions are made that we both wanted to be part of in our respective careers.

Even though this wasn’t ideal work-wise, we decided to put in our absence for two weeks and head down under. Was it tough coming back to missed beginning-of-the-year work? YES. Was it hard to leave our teams for two weeks? YES. Did we receive some flack for being gone during that time? YES.

BUT, did we live out multiple dreams? YES. Did our companies both survive without us there? YES. Did we have to step up and work extra hours when we got back? YES.

Now, why am I writing all of this? We both care immensely about our jobs but we also care immensely about travel. The experiences we receive by exploring and traveling can never be replaced. The knowledge you gain can never be taken away. Do it while you can.

Thought #3: It’s never going to be the perfect time to travel

It’s never going to seem like the perfect time to travel. Whether it’s a similar situation to us in that the place you want to visit would require you to leave your job at an in-opportune time. Or maybe you want to wait until your kids are older, so you’re waiting to travel in the next few years.

Whatever the case, if it’s itching at you, GO! Don’t wait because the timing isn’t perfect. It will never be perfect. You get PTO at work – TAKE IT. You have young kids – GO ANYWAY. The things they experience while traveling will help shape them and expose them to a larger world, even if they won’t remember it. (Keep in mind I have zero kids so take this advice with that in mind).

Thought #4: If you want to travel more, it must be prioritized

If travel is important to you, you have to prioritize it both within your day-to-day life and financially.

Sometimes we’re so exhausted from the work week that we just want to sleep our Saturday away. Travel is SO important to us but we can be easily tempted to stay at home where it’s comfortable. But if we did this over and over again, this would become our life and we would feel so unfulfilled.

So instead, we set our alarms, pack the car, and hit the road! I now look back through the photos in my phone and remember all the great memories we have and places we’ve been. Even if it’s just an hour drive away to a nearby state park! The moments we share while traveling and exploring new places will always be remembered. Not sitting on the couch.

Thought #5: Define what travel means to you

Now, I’m not saying to sell all your stuff, blow off work, travel the world, and stay at the most luxurious hotels. Travel within your means.

Yes, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef was amazing, but it was also expensive and something we planned for for a long time. But that didn’t mean we didn’t travel at all until we made that trip. I have just as fond memories of our family’s trip up Minnesota’s north shore this last summer where we packed the car and stayed in a cabin for a long weekend.

If you want to travel more but can’t afford an international trip, don’t have the time off to do it, or don’t want to drag your kids on a plane, re-define your definition of travel. Most people would look at us and say we travel all the time. But in reality, most of our travel is around the great state of Minnesota. It’s my mission to show all of you the awesome things that can be found right in your backyard.

Please be smart. Don’t spend money you don’t have to travel. Know that there’s so many things that can fill that adventurous spirit you have. It doesn’t mean you always have to fly somewhere or even have a passport.

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Thanks for reading what’s been going on in my brain the last few weeks. I’ll leave you with this.

I encourage you to really think about your life differently once this is all over. What do you want to look back on and remember doing? What do you want to prioritize? Remember that life is what happens while you’re busy planning it and saying “someday.” Hopefully you’ll also soon be able to say “I’m glad we traveled when we did.”