Life feels overwhelming right now, with history unfolding at a rapid pace. In times of such uncertainty, it’s easy to feel lost. History shows us that significant events unfold over years, even decades. From pandemics to civil rights movements and work revolutions, major changes require time and endurance. In an era of instant gratification, this can be a difficult concept to grasp.
Recent months have been packed with world-altering developments, prompting us to wonder how we can cope. As a travel lover, you may be wondering if your passion can help you navigate these challenges. The answer is a resounding yes. Your experiences as a traveler have equipped you with a unique toolkit of skills that can help you thrive in a changing world.
What Essential Resources Do Travel Lovers Possess?
What skills and resources can travelers draw upon to navigate these turbulent times? What aspects of their lifestyle can be leveraged to contribute to a more equitable world? At Unsettled, we believe our community of global travelers possesses a unique advantage.
Does being a traveler equip you with specific skills to navigate current challenges? Can these skills be transferred to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion? Can they help you prioritize self-care and support others? Can you transform current disadvantages into advantages?
Here’s what A Travel Lover packs in their “traveler’s toolkit” for the journey ahead:
1. Open-Mindedness: A Traveler’s Hallmark
It’s challenging to travel comfortably without open-mindedness. Traveling exposes you to diverse ways of life and helps you understand that your perspective is not the only one. A true travel lover attempts to overcome the notion that their experience is the only valid one, fostering a learning and listening mindset. This allows for growth from new experiences, which can be integrated into everyday life.
2. Heightened Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and Respect
As a travel lover, you are constantly observing and learning about the customs and values of different cultures. From clothing and greetings to etiquette and communication, you are aware of the nuances that matter to people in different places. This understanding fosters sensitivity and caring in your interactions. Even when mistakes are made, the intention is to become more attuned to the collective culture and the needs of those around you.
3. Improvisation Skills: Adapting to the Unexpected
A travel lover understands that multiple paths lead to the same destination and that there are countless ways to accomplish a goal. They are adept at finding creative solutions to unexpected problems, navigating detours, and developing backup plans. This ability to improvise is invaluable in navigating the uncertainties of the present. From finding substitutes for everyday items to discovering new ways to connect and support one another, they are always ready to adapt.
4. Appreciation for the Little Things: Finding Joy in Simplicity
When immersed in a new environment with limited communication skills, a travel lover learns to appreciate the small things. They find joy in simple gestures, positive interactions, and small comforts. This ability to be present and find the good in their surroundings translates well to challenging times. It also fosters forgiveness for imperfections, knowing that difficult moments, like the noisy hostel experience, will eventually pass.
5. Connection: Understanding Yourself and Others
Travel, for a travel lover, fosters connection – both with oneself and with others. You know what matters to you, your priorities, your needs, and your purpose. You are in touch with your values and aspirations, allowing you to navigate the choices and limitations that arise while exploring the world. This ability to connect with yourself and others is crucial, especially now. They also know how to schedule catch-ups across continents, time zones, and postal codes.
6. Shapeshifting: Adapting to Different Roles
Travel requires you to be adaptable, embracing various roles such as leader and follower, host and guest, local and visitor. A travel lover understands that nothing makes you a better host than being a guest and travel gives you plenty of opportunities to move between roles and perspectives. They are comfortable leading, planning, and organizing, but also understand the power of teamwork. They recognize that true magic happens when people come together and leverage each other’s strengths.
7. Holding Space for Opposite Truths: Embracing Contradictions
Even a brief journey teaches you that you can simultaneously experience wanderlust and homesickness, hunger and fullness, competence and uncertainty. The world is full of coexisting truths, and travel lovers develop a tolerance for the coexistence of chaos and order. They understand that it’s possible to be both okay and not okay, acknowledging the complexities of the human experience.
This list is just a starting point. As a travel lover, it’s now your responsibility to utilize your unique experiences to navigate this journey.
How do your skills and experiences help you stay safe, care for your loved ones, advocate for social change, and move humanity forward? Even if travel is currently limited, your past experiences have equipped you with valuable skills that extend far beyond booking a flight.
Most importantly, travel teaches you to think creatively, utilizing limited resources and envisioning new possibilities.
We are ready to leverage our traveler’s toolkit and hope you are too!
