How to Travel the World, Part 1: Manifest

At the age of 30, I have traveled all over the world. I have slept at the foot of giant Red Wood trees in the pacific northwest and I have hiked in the Pyrenees mountains of northern Spain.  I have watched a Barong dance in a Balinese palace in Indonesia, and I have met a Shaman in the depths of the southern Amazon jungle.  I have practiced yoga in studios and back country landscapes in Central, South and North America, as well as Europe and SE Asia.  My list of favorite travel experiences goes on ….  and my bucket list is kind of ridiculous.

People ask me all the time how my husband Luke and I pull this off.

Luke and I are what my co-workers like to call “D.I.N.K.’s” – dual income, no kids.  Most of the time, people assume this is how we are able to travel so much.  It probably does make things a little easier, but I don’t have kids, so I can’t say for sure.  I do know a lot of people with kids who travel all the time.

It’s really about our priorities.

Priorities when it comes to money and budgeting, and priorities when it comes to how we use our vacation time.  It also comes down to priorities when it comes to researching where we want to go, and even more so, what is important to us when we get there.

So, do you want to travel the world?  You totally can.

This blog is all about giving yourself permission to start manifesting that dream trip. We’ll get into the logistics and planning specifics in my next blog post of this series How to Travel the World, Part 2: Logistics (creative title, I know!).  For now let’s not worry too much about the logistics, though. Let’s just let the dreamer inside take over.

One thing I have learned over my years of travel is that the experience is heightened when you find a destination that calls to you.

Instead of picking the obvious destination right away, give it some thought.  Grab your beverage of choice, lay out a world map on your kitchen table (or pull one up on your computer) and spend a happy evening considering the endless possibilities. Our Earth is varied.  What are you seeking?  Culture?  Time outdoors? The familiar? The foreign?  Let yourself dream big!

Not sure where to start?  Here is a tip to gather some inspiration:  if you know your travel dates, download the iPhone app “Skyscanner.”  Plug in your travel dates, your preferred departing airport, and in the “Destination” search box type in the word “Everywhere.”  Wait with anticipation while this beautiful app pumps out the cheapest airline tickets to various destinations all over the world.  This is SO FUN!  Gelato in Italy and Ceviche in Peru, here we come.

Make notes, start a Pinterest board, create a vision board and put it on your wall. Take the stress out of it. Let it be fun! Manifest that shit!

When you’ve figured out your top choices, you may need to bring it back down to reality a bit.  You don’t need to get too far into logistics yet, but do a bit of research to get a general gist of what the trip may cost.  There are some situations that may not be do-able, but that’s okay.  Just because you can’t book a private over-water bungalow in Fiji doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing trip. You could decide to stay in a bungalow on the beach on the Gili Islands of Indonesia instead. There are so many options!

My point?  Be creative!  Let this trip be yours.  You can choose a popular destination (I’m not hating on them – there is a reason they’re popular), or you can choose something a little less conventional. Let it be something that lights you up and fills you with enthusiasm! This enthusiasm makes the next part of manifesting a little easier.

So what is manifesting phase two? … (Drum roll….) BUDGET and SAVE!

Set a goal – save that cash up!  This doesn’t mean you need to turn off your electricity and stop taking hot showers, but it does mean that you take some time to consider where you are spending your money.  Can you re-allocate any unnecessary spending?

A few things Luke and I do:

• We have the classic “AdventureFund” jar in our dining room.  All the spare change and dollars go into the adventure fund. (Looking for a fun activity on a low-key afternoon? Put on music, hunt the house for change, and throw it in the jar!  Yes- we do this.  And yes- it’s fun.)
• We stopped eating out as much. We still meet friends for a beer, but we’ll eat at home first.
• We transitioned to primarily plant-based diets, which has been a huge money saver (though that’s not the main reason why).
• We stopped giving each other birthday and Christmas gifts.  We set the money aside for adventures instead, and get creative with our gifts.
• We stopped buying Starbucks. (BIG ONE!)
• We stopped buying clothes that we don’t need. (I honestly can’t remember the last time I went shopping for clothes…)
• We have a small portion of each paycheck that funnels straight into an adventure fund.  If we don’t see it, we don’t spend it.
• We canceled cable and just use Netflix.
• We stopped going to the movie theater to cure boredom. We just go if there is something we really want to see (the last movie we viewed in theater’s was Fantastic Beasts- so good!).

The list goes on!

When budgeting, I find it helps to change the background of my iPhone to an awe-inspiring photo of our upcoming destination.  I constantly remind myself that I’m not “giving up” Starbucks – I’m manifesting an experience where I will get to drink sangria in Spain.  All of the sudden skipping Starbucks becomes a reminder that I get to go to Spain!  Cue: big smile!  It’s also important not to budget away every last thing that makes you happy.  I still buy wine.  We still have yoga memberships at a studio.  We still buy little treats, and yes, it’s okay to cave and get a latte once every couple of months. Just keep that manifesting in mind!

Traveling is not a crazy idea.

You can go and see the world.

Take a deep breath, bust out that map, and let yourself dream big.  If travel calls to you, respond.  We have one life.  Get out and explore!

Questions? Comments or additions to my budgeting list above? Share below!  I’d love to hear them!

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Adventure on!

xx Katie