Exploring your own backyard
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What is it that is holding you back from living out all those travel dreams? Is it a lack of time or limited expenses? Those two tend to be the top two reasons as to why someone does not travel. But what if we told you that you can travel with limited vacation time and on a budget?
Travel doesn’t have to be this grand vacation to Greece. In fact the definition of travel is to go from one place to another, as by car, train, plane, or ship. With that being said, today’s episode of the Passports and Coffee Podcast is focusing on traveling in your own backyard!
Have you ever considered traveling locally? Have you considered taking a weekend trip somewhere in your own backyard? I know when people talk about traveling, they don’t like to consider their own backyard as a vacation destination but we want you to think outside the box, because maybe the adventure you’re looking for, is right in your own backyard.
Let’s talk about why we think you should say YES to a local vacation!
First things first, we want to ask you, what is holding you back from traveling? Now whatever that reason is, we ask you to throw that reason out the door and hear us out. Because we believe that reason for not traveling really isn’t a reason at all.
Having the mindset that you can not travel is a negative way to think and as always we want to change your mindset. Your mind is a powerful thing. And having the right mindset can make a huge difference on how you view travel. Shifting your thoughts from a scarcity mindset to an abundant one is where the first change happens because we can listen to that little negative Nancy all day long and still end up in the same spot we were yesterday.
So maybe it’s not really the finances or having enough vacation time that’s holding you back like you thought. Now that you are shifting your mindset, we are going to ask you again, what is truly holding you back from traveling?
Now that you have shifted your mindset, we are now asking you to shift your focus. Yes, you want to travel but you don’t have the time or expenses to spend a summer on a Greek island. That still doesn’t mean you can’t travel. We ask for you to focus on what you DO have and not on what you don’t.
So you don’t have an abundant, bottomless bank account? I mean who does, right? But guess what? You don’t need a bottomless back account to travel. It just means you need to find ways to travel within your means. Do you have a car? If that answer is yes, maybe consider taking a road trip that is a few hours away. Limited on vacation time? Make that road trip a weekend getaway.
Don’t have a car with limited expenses? Have you ever considered train travel? Travel sometimes means you need to think outside the box. And trust me, we have gotten creative over the years to be able to afford travel within our budget and vacation time.
Want to know a way we thought out of the box? We both went to Chicago last year for the Christkindlmarket and ended up taking the Amtrak train. We both have cars and Chicago is not that far of a drive from our respective home states so why did we choose train travel? After adding up gas prices, parking fees, and toll fees the train was a more economical option.
And guess what? The train was a blast! Not only did we save money but it allowed us to take a trip that we may not have been able to afford. Plus it’s a great way to see the Midwest countryside.
So, what if you do not have the option to take the Amtrak or the train is not in your budget? There are other transportation options out there such as bus travel. Now traveling via bus will take extra time but it’s an even cheaper option. We both have taken many buses internationally and it is such a great way to save a few extra dollars that you can spend towards fun meals or a nicer accommodation.
If you don’t have extra time, you may need to evaluate your schedule and pick some local things within your neighborhood to explore. We both are huge advocates for exploring our home state. You may even be surprised by something completely unique and undiscovered.
Now that we have convinced you that travel doesn’t have to be a grand getaway, I am sure you are wondering where to find local activities. We highly recommend following tourism boards on social media. As discussed in the episode, we follow our respective home state’s tourism board account on Instagram. And Kayla follows all of the tourism boards for smaller cities around Michigan as well.
Tourism boards not only share helpful information but they often times share fun seasonal activities and hidden gems that you may not be aware of. We both have found some amazing hidden gems within our city such as, new restaurants, cool wineries, and breweries. Or maybe its not a new brewery but instead a local family farm to pick fresh strawberries.
Another local thing we want to explore and look for are fun festivals in our states. There is actually a wine festival in Alexandria MN, where you can have a wine stomping competition! I mean how fun is that? There is also a Dutch community in Holland MI. Every year Holland, MI celebrates spring with a tulip festival! How cool is that?
As you can see, there really is no need to travel to France or Italy to stomp on grapes, or the Netherlands to see fields of tulips. These activities are in your own backyard just waiting to be explored!
We truly hope that we have inspired and encouraged you to shift your focus and mindset about travel. There are so many reasons as to why you should travel locally and take advantage of weekend getaways.
At the end of the day, we all have the ability to travel. You just have to start small and start today! Travel doesn’t have to mean this big grand adventure. Travel can also mean small local trips as well.
So we encourage you to find a fun local activity to help spark your sense of adventure. Think outside of the box and try a new way of travel. You might be surprised at what adventures await you in your own backyard!
Hi travel besties! It's Kayla and Cheraya, your co-hosts of the Passports and Coffee Podcast. We are fellow corporate world millennials looking to escape the 9-5 and are encouraging you to do the same.
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