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I imagine if you are reading this that you are a hustler. You may not think you are, but you are. You are intentionally or unintentionally being pulled in multiple directions, playing multiple roles in your personal and professional life, getting things done, with your eye on a singular goal: your big day. I recognize this hustle all too well.
I decided at a young age that I wanted to become a doctor. My career aspirations were intertwined with a moral purpose, and thus, it became my identity. So I hustled. I did everything I could to put me in the best position to get where I wanted to be. I declined countless family events and social invitations because I felt that I always had to be on the grind until I reached the top. And I accepted that for some time because it felt so good once I reached the end goal…until it didn’t. About two years into my career after training, I burned out. Without a new goal to work for, I felt lost, and I was STILL hustling. All I wanted to do was live out the life I had put on hold for so long.
Coincidentally, the hustle life also pushed me into the world of solo travel because let’s be real…who has time to wait for all the stars to align to go on vacation with the group chat? So these travels became my escape. I realized that I felt the most alive when I found myself wandering the streets in a distant land and encountering a world outside of my own. I answered to no one but myself and did whatever I wanted to do. It was in these times that I found my authentic self and felt the most connected to my purpose and the people around me.
Although I would love to be a full time traveler, that lifestyle is not realistic for me at this point in my life, and the best time to live life is NOW. As part of my recovery from burnout, I learned to embrace the “spirit of travel” so that I can live out my true self in different ways within my daily life without having to book a flight halfway across the world.
So whether you share my love of travel or not, here are some life lessons that I have learned through my travels that I hope will also provide you with some practical tips for you to break away from the hustle and live your most authentic self–even when your calendar is jam packed and no matter what your budget looks like.
- Reprogram your mindset.
Even as an adult, I can still hear my immigrant’s mom’s voice in my head telling me that I can’t go outside to play until after I finish my homework. I lived by that mantra for so long that to this day, I still feel a twinge of guilt when I leave something unfinished to do something fun. But the homework we were assigned in school is different from the mounds of work we are tasked at our jobs and the neverending to do lists we keep for the various projects of our lives. It is ok to take breaks. It is ok to do nothing for a little while. It is ok to do things that do not check any boxes off our to do lists just because they make us happy.
And don’t just take breaks, learn to celebrate the small things in life. Did you finally finish a meeting with that contact you’ve been trying to book for months? Have a glass of your favorite wine or mocktail. Did you get through a really rough day at work? Take a nice, relaxing bath.
Rest is the ultimate productivity tool. Rest is necessary for us to be able to show up as our best selves in all parts of our lives. Don’t worry, the to do list will still be there for you to tackle after you are rested.
Practical tip:
Schedule time in your calendar specifically for rest. You are more likely to do it if you plan for it, and you will have something to look forward to!
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Reimagine your concept of travel.
What if I challenged you to think about travel as exploring the world outside of your own? And what if I told you that you could do this even within your own hometown? I learned how to cultivate the “spirit of travel” during the pandemic when I couldn’t hop on a plane to escape and had to find ways to create those experiences for myself. If you can’t physically get away to have those experiences, why not bring them to you?
Practical tips:
-Watch a movie or read a book that takes place somewhere that you have never been.
-Explore a new cuisine at a local restaurant or in your own kitchen.
-Listen to an international or world music playlist.
-Take a class to learn an aspect about another culture (language, dance, etc).
-Wear a piece of jewelry or paint your nails a color that reminds you of a place you have been or would like to visit.
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Reimagine your concept of time.
Many people consider travel to be trips or vacations that last for at least a few days. But who says that you can’t have amazing experiences even within the same day, especially if that is all the time that you actually have in your busy schedule? I challenge you to make the most of your time, even if it seems like it is not enough (because it never is).
Practical tips:
-Remember tip #2? Some of those same activities could take as little as 15 minutes!
-Have an errand to run? Tack on a fun activity in that area for you to do before or after, even if it is as simple as stopping into a new coffee shop to grab a snack in between checking off the items on your list. Or even do something as simple as listening to a new playlist during your workout.
-Master the art of the day trip and the weekend trip. Depending on where you are located, a short drive or flight may take you to a whole different country and/or culture!
- Reconnect with yourself.
I have learned so much about myself since I started traveling solo, and I recommend that everyone finds time alone to actually know themselves. When you have no external companion, you start to realize that you yourself are the best companion you could ask for. When you have experiences alone, you get to choose your own adventures, and there is no one else to convince you to do anything you don’t want to. You answer only to yourself, and you realize that you have the power to create your own happiness.
Practical tips:
-Take yourself out for a drink.
-Take a walk outside disconnected from an electronic device and just appreciate your surroundings.
-Take an art class to tap into the creative part of your brain.
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You do you.
When I first decided to solo travel, I didn’t know what to expect. First came then internal worries. What if I got stranded? What if I felt lonely? And then came all the concerns from other people about stories they heard about solo travel. Isn’t it dangerous? Why would you want to go somewhere by yourself?
I knew I couldn’t compare myself to anyone else because my career had put me on a different life path and timeline from my friends. I couldn’t give into the guilt being put upon me by other people because it was my life to live and I had to take advantage of the time I had. I learned to recognize and live by my own priorities.
It is surprisingly hard to hear your own voice sometimes, especially when you have a community that cares about you. But in travel and in life, the only views you get to appreciate are the ones that lie along the journey YOU choose to take. So make sure you make your journey what you want it to be.
You are great at checking off the boxes on that to do list. Let’s start making the boxes on your bucket list more of a priority TODAY! At the end of the day, which list is going to ignite your passion for life?
If you can relate to my story or just want to discover how to live more fully both on vacation and in the daily grind, be sure to check out my blog at PiquesofLife.com and follow me on Instagram at @PiquesofLife.