People, it’s time to travel off the beaten path. You never know where such a trip can take you. Newer research increasingly shows that work and routine trump fun and adventure and it is indeed a sad state of affairs. We can’t help but think people are missing out on the best things in life.
Sure, most of us don’t like spontaneous experiences – instead, we like to plan and ensure that our schedules are all firmed up. An equal portion of us love routines, and this goes for holidays and travel as well. We are more than likely to carry out more spur-of-the-moment inspired stuff at home rather than at a holiday or overseas destination.
But spontaneous experiences can be a great way to mix things up, especially while traveling. Many travelers reveal quite a few epic experiences they would have never had if they didn’t go off script on occasion.
Take the case of Anneliese Hauptstein in her early 30s and living in Berlin, who had made plans to visit the Middle East with a friend. Those plans went awry when her friend, unfortunately, suffered a motorbike accident.
However, instead of abandoning the trip, Ann decided to brave the unknown and proceeded to couch-surf through Syria and Lebanon for a few weeks all by herself. Now she is so glad that she did that because it turned out to be one of the best trips of her life.
She says, “The trip to Palmyra was a real highlight. I stayed with a Bedouin man and his extended family who lived out in the desert far away from anywhere. He picked me up in a jeep and took me out there. I rode around on their horses and camels while I was out there.” An experience and memories she would never have had if things had gone as per the original plans.
There is a feeling of liberation and empowerment that comes with just dropping everything else and doing your own thing, relying on just yourself, your intuition and ability to communicate with the people you meet. We do concur.
While it is definitely easier for solo travelers to throw caution to the wind, if you have the luxury of some like-minded companions, you never know where unplanned journeys can take you.
Going by the experiences of the well traveled, the best trips are the most spontaneous ones. Those trips that make you break the routine and live in the moment. Whether you’re trying to avoid the silly holiday season crowds or madness, or just enjoy the pleasure in giving your friends some major social media envy, it’s time to escape the daily routine and enjoy that last minute getaway for the year. It’s surely going to be worth it.
Related Post: Making Travel During Holidays Less Stressful
