HOW TRAVEL SLOWLY WHEN YOUR TIME IS LIMITED

Maybe you’re in need of a break or an adventure, maybe you just need a change of environment and some time to relax but you only have a week, and you want to see and do as much as possible, is it achievable?

Back when I was leading trips full time in South America I used to travel the length of the continent in six weeks and then turn around and do it again.....and again........and again, you get the picture. 

If I had a couple of days free I would take myself off to some unknown destination often with just a few days to spare and usually on some kind of mission to climb something so I know a thing or two about how to travel slowly when your time is limited.

Pre trip prep, how to get organised.

1. Verb your To do list (add verbs, make it verby, verb it up were other ways I thought about writing this).

If you feel like you have a never ending, uncontrollable to do list that you need to get a grip on before you go on holiday then keep reading, time has a tendency to slow down when you feel in control of it.

Back to my tour leading days and post trip, this is an example of what my To Do List looked like before I learnt the secret power of verbs.

Accounts                      

Bookings

Post trip

Cuzco office

Motorbike

Bus + Train

Volcano + Ross

Inca Trail

Laptop

Now look what happens when you add verbs to your to do list, everything suddenly become actionable and easier to manage, hurahh, more time for drinking coffee and eating vegan carrot cake.

Post accounts to office

Call hotels to make bookings for next trip

Send post trips report forms

Email Cuzco office about hotel prices

Buy motorbike from Juan in Argentina

Book bus + train tickets for next tour

Climb Volcano with Ross in Colombia

Reserve Inca Trail permits for next trip

Fix Laptop

2. Take back control of your time

Imagine the scene; you’re running late to the airport, didn’t have time to eat before you left so your trip begins with feeling frantic and it’s so easy to get caught up in the mindset that we are controlled by time that if your trip begins like this it will more than likely end like it too.

So how can we slow time down?

I always arrive (ridiculously early) at bus stations / train stations / airports, I’m the first in queues and often hanging around waiting for things to open up, this makes me feel calm and in control of my time, it gives me the opportunity to quietly observe the exciting anticipation of movement that you only feel in airports and bus stations.

Make your point of departure part of your trip, really incorporate it into you day, give it time, set your standards for your own holiday, try not to grizzle about the price of the coffee at the airport, it is what it is, enjoy it, you deserve that coffee and you’ve been meaning to sit down for half an hour to read that magazine for ages.

Perfect opportunities sometimes present themselves in the most unexpected circumstances, look out for that during your trip.

2. Planning

Be nice to yourself and create a game plan for your trip, it’s absolutely the best way to get the most out of a holiday, it doesn’t have to be completely ridged but having a rough itinerary will save you spending two or three hours each day trying to figure out the next move when you could be out and about enjoying yourself / hiking a volcano / on the lookout for new and exciting vegan restaurants!

4. Take a digital detox

What happens when you actively take a digital detox is that you’re forced to be in what I call real time, also know as living in the moment which is quite tricky to do with life's digital distractions.

We’re all different and I recommend setting aside a designated time slot each day on your trip for social media and connecting with family and friends online, you’ll be amazed at how much time and clarity you gain by not inviting google to the party.

5. Have a base camp

Possibly the real key to travelling slowly, basing yourself in one location will allow you to relax, you’ll see and experience much more of a country and culture by staying still and taking day trips than you will by trying to visit three countries in a week so choose your base carefully, make sure there are good public transport links and public amenities close by, set your self up for success. 

Em x

OVER TO YOU       

What's your preferred way to travel and why?

Share your thoughts in the comments box below so I can work towards serving the vegan travel community better and creating trips and products that you love.

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VEGAN ADVENTURES IN 2015

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