TOP 5 ACTIONABLE LESSONS LEARNT FROM LONG TERM TRAVEL

1. Long term travel is not glamorous, but it is glorious!

Four days of adverse weather conditions and high altitude, I have hiked the Inca Trail many times, glorious yes, glamorous, definitely not! (apart from that one lady from Germany that somehow managed to look impeccable each day as she rose from her tent in a white t-shirt, hair in place, lips glossed....incredible).

We have all seen those the glossy travel photos of bronzed people eating what looks like a banquet style meal as the sun is going down by the beach, this is the reality; a few years ago I was with a group in Honduras and we were on the island of Roatan, there was a birthday in the group so, with the help of one of my favourite local restaurants I decided to do something special and set up a lovely long dinner table right on the beach, I tied balloons on the chairs, it looked so lovely, just like the photos! 

This what happened next

The sparks from the BBQ popped the balloons, the tide came in ever so quickly and practically took the table away, an incredibly strong breeze came from nowhere and left most of us ladies looking a touch windswept (understatement) and we had to shift everything in about two minutes flat so it wasn’t swallowed up by the sea, we ended up have the most amazing picnic style dinner sitting on a big rug on the floor, they don’t show you these types of photos in glossy travel magazines, they are priceless. (writing this is also giving me an idea for a vegan travel magazine called Glorious not glamorous)!

Actionable: Embrace the glorious not just the glamorous 

2. Intuition and Engagement

How do you feel when you go on holiday and everything is new, unfamiliar and exciting?

Human survival instincts will automatically raise our levels of awareness in

unfamiliar surroundings in order to keep us safe and with this comes a certain heightened level of engagement, you learn to act and react more on intuition and less on other influences such as societal pressure to do what is perceived as the correct thing in certain situations. 

Actionable: Assess your level of engagement in every day tasks, talking to your partner after a long day in the office, walking the dog, playing with your kids, cooking an amazing vegan dinner for friends, commit to being absolutely fully engaged in everything you do from the mundane to the marvellous (see above photo of Emelio, one of my local guides in Guatemala demonstrating what it looks like to be so engaged he's on the point of doing a little dance).

3. Respect the elements

Picture the scene; it’s sunny, you have the open road in front of you, a full tank of petrol and no where to be, half an hour later you find yourself in the eye of a tropical storm taking refuge under a bridge along side many other cold wet bikers, that was me a few years ago and learning to respect the elements was one of the most important travel lessons I have ever learnt. 

That storm taught me that we don’t control everything in life, mother nature can be beautiful and fierce all at the same time. We must not only respect our environment but pass on that respect and encourage others to feel it and see it.

Actionable: whenever you get the opportunity, embrace the elements, go ahead, dance around in a rainstorm or take a long walk on a windy day, note how you feel when you embrace the elements instead of avoiding them and give them some respect.

4. You are capable of far more than you ever imagined

Travel, unlike any other activity or action has the unique potential to inspire you, educate you, make you realise that you are capable of more than you ever imagined should you step towards the outer edges of your comfort zone. I’m just going to say it once more, time and time again travel makes me realise that people, all over the word are, fundamentally the same.

Actionable: Do something that pushes you just beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone but remember that everyones comfort zone is different, set your own goals and focus on them, you are capable of far more than you ever imagined.

5. People are fundamentally good and the same

‘so what’s Guatemala like Emma, what do people do there’? 

This is a question I get asked a lot. The past fifteen years have taught me that

people, all over the world are fundamentally good and the same, have similar needs, aspirations and desires. When I spend time time in Europe I see this; people getting up in the morning, drinking coffee, taking the kids to school, going to work, going out with friends, chatting about where they would like to go on holiday next year and when I’m back in Guatemala, guess what I see, people doing exactly the same.

Actionable: We all catch ourselves from time to time making assumptions, not only about others but what others think about us, challenge yourself to suspend those thoughts and remember that ultimately, we are all the same regardless of where we live, what we do and what language we speak, there is something comfortingly grounding in this.

OVER TO YOU

What is the one most important lesson travel has taught you? Share your vegan friendly travel stories and Let me know in the comments box below.

NOVEMBER EXPERIENCES

Organic farms, Mayan ruins, chocolate workshops, nature hikes and amazing vegan cuisine, there are plenty of experiences to be had in Guatemala this season, find out more about vegan vacations here >>>