A Jumble of Thoughts

A look inside what I think about travel, how it benefits me, a way to get around money issues and more.

Guatamala, 2022

Where do you feel most at peace? Is it at home, snuggled in the sheets? At the beach sipping a pina colada? In someone’s arms who loves you, like a mother, father or partner? What about a picnic in the park looking up at the clouds? Or a tailgate watching the stars? That moment of peace, how long does it last? A minute or ten? Then a phone rings or you hear the roaring of a truck drive by. Then the peace disappears and reality creeps back in.

I am at peace while travelling. It may not be the same intense peace as one may get from meditation however, there is always a feeling of peace. While abroad I have no one I need to interact with, no boss, landlord, roommate, coworkers, siblings, it is just me. There is peace with knowing I am not going to bump into someone I know walking down the street. I do not have to act or dress a certain way. Instead of looking around me, I can look within me.

Going to a different village, town, city, country, etc, you do not need to fit in social norms. You should embrace yourself and stand out. You can play into your quirks. Eat new foods, try activities that are on your bucket list and dance as though nobody is watching. Everything you do may feel a little uncomfortable because you are constantly outside daily routine but as they say the more you are uncomfortable the more you grow.

Speaking of daily routine, there is none. If you want to sleep till noon you can, without judgement from anyone. If you want to eat dessert for breakfast no one will blink twice. The main thing I am getting at is the only person that makes a choice, is you. There is peace knowing that you are completely in control of your day vs. having to work 9-5 or going to school. Maybe you have the weekends off but you still are not in control because you have to prepare for the week. That may include cleaning the house, homework, emails, etc. Travelling every day is the weekend, except you do not have to meal prep for the week.

Swimming in the ocean gives me the most peace. Something about being almost naked, under the sun, with the sea creatures gives me pleasure. I cannot swim with my phone, nor do I care what is on it, while I remain buoyant. Floating with the salty water passing underneath my fragile body with each wave feels like I am on another planet. The best part about the ocean is that nobody owns it, it is everyone’s and nobody’s.

Meeting people who are like-minded. In my town, I do not have many friends. I have a hard time connecting with people because our experiences are very different. Travelling is a bit more complicated but the love for travelling brings people together. Most backpackers have the grind mentality and for the most part are intelligent, easy-going, funny, spontaneous and like to have a good time. Although we may come from other countries, speak different languages, are different colours, we are all bond and share many similarities. We do not talk about work or gossip (we do not know the same people), we talk about our experiences. We share stories, dreams, goals and traumas. We relate to one another and help each other without even being aware. You create a unique bond in a strange place and separate at the end of it. Then it is your choice if you decide to reunite with that person.

Having a different view on life. I was in Thailand in a shuttle driving back from an elephant sanctuary. I had a fantastic day and was sitting beside a handsome guy from the UK. We were talking a little bit. I looked out the window to see a man fishing in a remote lake, I am talking about the middle of nowhere. He was using a makeshift fishing pole. I turn to the guy and said “I hope he catches something.” His response to that was “if he doesn’t he probably won’t eat today, neither will his family.” At that moment my mind was blown. I had not thought about that possibility, that this guy needed to catch a fish for survival and not for fun. There has been multiple other scenarios very similar to that one. I have become more thankful for what I have, less picky about what I want and more curious about what I can do to make a change.

I can go with the flow. Many things go unexpected while living out of a bag. I may want to go from A to B but end up going to Z. I am okay with not being in control and just being happy with wherever I end up. In Cambodia, I met a German gentleman in the capital. Although I had plans to go to Siem Reap I changed them to go in the complete opposite direction to the islands. I liked his company enough to travel with him for a week and a half. The islands in Cambodia were one of my highlights from the Asia trip. I would not have gone if I did not changed my itinerary.

Bosnia, 2021

Learning what I enjoy and what I can happily pass up. Museums, walking tours, historical sites, does not fill my bucket. Although I do not mind the odd walking tour, or must-see building, most times I cannot be bothered. I do enjoy walking and getting lost in the city, local markets and crazy adventures. Sometimes you do not have to know what you like, you just have to know what you do not like. The same goes for food, places, accommodation, who you surround yourself with, etc.

You learn what is toxic in your everyday life. There is a saying if you put a frog in boiling water it will jump out immediately, but if you put a frog in room temperature water then slowly bring it to a boil it will stay in and boil alive. The same goes for our relationships in our everyday life. If you start a fantastic job, relationship, friendship, routine but over time you begin to question it, you may not know how screwed up it actually is until you are 100% out of it. An example of this is the story I posted a week ago about Josh. I never really understood how much he was lying to me until I left for Europe. Changing those relationships or habits change the outlook you have on life.

It is no secret that travelling benefits your life in many different aspects. The question is why do you prioritize material things over experiences. Maybe it is because you care more about what other people think of you, than you thought. All I am saying is to take care of yourself. Your body is home. Your mind should be on your team fighting in your favour. Why choose to continue to be unhappy? Take a risk, figure it out and grow from it.

Oh Taylor, I wish I could travel but I have no money. Well, there are endless options. WWOOF is a foundation that pairs you with an employer, you get room and board (food) for free in exchange for working a couple of hours a couple of days a week. It is a worldwide app. Aupair is another great option, it is a nannying service. You recieve room and board (food) for free, earn an allowance and in return, you look after a child a few hours, 5 days a week. There are many other options. If you teach yoga there is an app where you obtain free accommodation all you have to do is teach one or two classes a day. Many people teach English over their computer, it is fast and easy money. Many websites pay you for writing articles or gathering research. Volunteering at hostels, finding a remote job, sponsors, internships, playing music, Australian visas, etc. DO NOT use the ‘I have no money’ excuse. If there is a will there is a way. It takes a single afternoon of research, do not be lazy.

(I have more less been finacailly independent since I was 16-years-old. I pay for my own post-secondary. I travel half the year for the last 3 years without a set budget. I bought a 2015 GMC terrain and paid it off fully in one year, which was three years early. I had my first job at 12-years-old. I worked 2 jobs since I was 16. I started investing at 18 and I have worked every job that has been offered to me. I have no dept, no car payment, I own nobody anything. If anyone should have no money it is me. I made no excuses to get where I am now. I achieved all of this by the age of 20. All alone. I was lucky being born in Canada, I created my own luck after that. My parents are not rich, my dad is a used car finance manger and my mom works at a law firm. I have no sugar daddy or mentor. If I can do it, anyone can.)

I know a lot of students that explain they will travel after post-secondary school. It is such bullish*t. Nobody ever does. They study for four years and finish school with no money. Some may have a loan to pay off or are just broke. It is normal to be broke after college but this means that they typically want to get a job right away. Not long after they get stuck in the rat race and leave once a year, for a week, to Mexico or Cuba and call that travelling. It is not. It is a vacation. Take a year off before you go into post-secondary, it will change your life, teach you how to budget, give you clarity on what you want as a career and create memories that will last a lifetime.

This post was kind of a mess. My thoughts were all over the place but all with the same underlying message. Put yourself out there. The world needs more people with experience. If you graduate high school, go right into postsecondary, get a job after graduation, then start a family after that, you have nothing that sets you apart from anybody else. You have no time to figure out who you are in the process. You will regret not putting yourself first. It is a bold claim that I am quite confident in.

ANYWAY, I have decided to go down to posting twice a week. It will make the posting more consistent and I will have better content. Have a great weekend and see you Sunday :) xx

Mexico, 2021