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3 Powerful Lessons I Learned After Booking A Random Solo Vacay to ATL
Every year, I’ve made a promise to myself that I was going to travel more.
Every year, I’ve made a promise to myself that I was going to travel more.
Although small details (i.e. travel destinations) may vary throughout the years, the vision always remained the same: To invest in a passport, frequently travel + explore new cities, and document my experiences.
I wanted to hop in my travelista era badly but, year after year, my excuses would pile up and I’d only end up on ONE vacation for the entire year, ultimately putting my ceaseless resolution on the backburner.
When December rolled around, I would reflect upon the justifications that stood in the way of my dream becoming a reality:
“Oh, let me wait for such and such because she said she wanted to go too.”
“I need to plan my trips in advance.”
“The prices are too expensive and I need funds to consistently travel.”
“Oh, I was simply too busy to follow my dream. Let’s try next year!”
The excuses were ever-lasting.
This year, I was going down the same path of excuses until last month, after an enlightening conversation with my coworker, that I decided that enough is enough. Although some excuses (i.e. lack of funds and time) were valid in the past, those variables were not the ultimate issue.
It was the fact that I was an inflexible traveler.
I’d always assumed that, in order to achieve my dreams, I needed to have thousands of dollars and unlimited PTO to start traveling consistently. Yes, those factors would be beneficial but I could travel with or without having that.
In addition, I’d also realized that I didn’t have to plan luxurious, intentional trips to jumpstart this dream.
Once I’d dismantled myself from those limiting travel beliefs, I immediately booked a random flight to ATL the same weekend and finally entered my travelista era!
Here’s what I’d learned from this random solo trip to ATL (and hopefully, this will help you jump-start your own travelista era!):
JUST DO IT. Literally. I’ve been wanting to do this forever but, because I was too busy making excuses, waiting on others and overplanning, it never happened. The only way I could jumpstart my dream is by actually starting -- I just needed to book a flight and just go! Once I’d (finally) made this power move, I automatically feel this vision transitioning from a moving goal-post to a dream that’s easily attainable. Fast forward to now: I have 3 upcoming trips booked!
TRAVEL DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE. Like I’d mentioned earlier, you do NOT have to travel to a fancy, intentional destination in order to travel more. Once I dismantled that mindset, I’d began to expand my horizons and created this formula for myself: 90% of my trips will be random local/national destinations I’d scored a deal from Google Flights and the other 10% will consist of those luxurious destinations. That way, I’d still live out my travelista era WITHOUT breaking my bank! #bougieonabudget
SOMETIMES, IT’S BETTER TO FREESTYLE. When I traveled to ATL, I decided to try something new: I was going to freestyle my entire trip and NOT plan anything until the day of. Rather than allowing an itinerary to rule my trip, I wanted to be the boss. Each morning, I will wake up and think, “Chadeira, what do YOU want to do today?” and then I’ll do it. It felt SO empowering to lead my vacation in this matter because I was able to remain the present moment and focus on what I wanted to do right now, rather than focusing on what was already planned.
If you’re reading this and feel empowered to hop in your travel bag as well, I challenge you to do the following: Head over to Google Flights, click on “Explore” on the left-handed panel and scroll through the incredibly cheap flights that are shown. If you have the extra money + are free this weekend, book a trip! If not, start small with a daycation and explore a local city near you!
Regardless of your destination, a trip is a trip! This is your sign to take action NOW and start your travelista era with me.