Stage 5: Wander
Wander
Now comes the time that most travelers anticipate the most: the wandering. The musing through streets for hours, going up hidden staircases, stumbling into gardens behind bookstores, and having random conversations with locals. All of the things we find outside of the guide book make our trip.
This surprises warm us more because we had no expectation to find them.
And arriving with expectations can only lead you to disappointment.
People may roll their eyes at #wander. But we need it. We need to take a break from our domesticated lives. When we let go and surrender to the universe, we are able to see things we would have normally sped by.
When we lead with curiosity, we are always pleasantly surprised.
We need to let go in order to know where we are going.
“Whither wander you?”
We will learn:
Why it is important to wander.
Why it is important to have low expectations when traveling.
Why the best travels have low expectations.
Why we need to wander.
Why wandering is good for you.
How to have the best surprises while traveling.
Why live is full of surprises.
How to have more surprises while traveling.
Why you can still travel with a disability.
How to travel when disabled.
How being disabled doesn't always have to affect your travels.
Why some places call to you.
How cities have a personality.
How to maintain a sense of curiosity.
How to let go of travel plans.
Why curiosity is great for traveling.
Chris Christianson is the godfather of travel podcasts. With over 700 podcast episodes, Amateur Traveler truly hits every spot on the map. So after visiting nearly every continent and then some, travel can start to lose its sparkle. That excited twist in your stomach might relax after you have hit your 83rd country. Our brains have become overloaded with stimuli and can’t take in anything anymore. So Chris and I discuss how to maintain a sense of wonder, no matter where you go or how many times you have left your home. ( Check out the episode I did with him about my home in the Hudson Valley!)
Adam Groffman didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he booked a one way ticket to Spain. He had been spending months saving money and carefully planning each destination. He knew how long he would stay at each one and where he had to visit. But the moment he landed, that plan was thrown out of the window. Adam quickly learned that the best adventures are the ones without an itinerary and often we need to go where the world is asking us to stay. Adam describes how he felt compelled to slow down once he got to Israel. He couldn’t really explain it, but he felt that this place had a larger plan in store for him.
Scott has too many good travel stories. So many, that it would be a disservice not to share them. Which is how he created Far From Home podcast. The first season of the podcast chronicles an 11,000 mile trek from London to Mongolia. Scott gets into some insane adventures, some planned and others unexpected. But even when we know what we are getting ourselves into, the pictures and pins are never as good as seeing it in the flesh.
Jessie Owens
Jessie Owens understands that travel often has some limitations, some that we put on ourselves and some the world places us on us. After living through a freak accident that left her orphaned and quadriplegic, Jessie thought her limitations were larger than others now. She will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. But just because she is chair bound does not mean that she has reached a dead end. Jessie still finds ways to wander around the world to her full capability and absorb the lessons that travel teaches all bodies.
Strangers Abroad is a travel podcast hosted by solo female traveler and storyteller, Adrien Behn.
