I started my travel blog, Unplan-It Earth, a little over a year ago. I couldn’t imagine at the time how it would change my outlook on the world. I am floored by how holding myself just a little bit accountable with a blog has completely changed my life.
A year ago, I never would have booked a plane flight to Las Vegas only a week in advance to visit a state park I’d only learned about the previous fortnight. I would have spent months dreaming about a trip but never would have pulled the trigger or wanted to use vacation days to visit. Instead, I had the weekend of a lifetime in the Nevada desert.
With this newfound affection for spontaneity, I’ve grown as a person and now say “yes” much more often. Want to go on a hike tomorrow? Yes! Try a new class? Sure! Drive to Houston this weekend to learn about dinosaurs? I thought you’d never ask!
Trips don’t have to be week-long events with detailed timetables. In fact, overplanning now stresses me out – it always did, but I always thought I just hadn’t planned enough. Now, I think about travel with a much more go-with-the-flow attitude. Pick a place to go, book flights and accommodations, and just do it! Maybe plan one major site for each day, but don’t stress about seeing everything in one trip. I can always go back, and it’s more important to enjoy the experience.
This year, I’m looking forward to much more travel – I’ve already been to Boston, California, Michigan, and Nevada, in addition to some great day trips in Texas, and can’t wait for bigger trips to Denver, Montenegro, and Sedona.