Solo travel tip #2: Permission to BE
If you’re an American, you’re especially steeped in the virtues of “doing.”
We’re taught from childhood about the importance of getting up early (the early bird gets the worm) and working harder than the next person to get ahead.
Planning weeks or months in advance for most things (even coffee or drinks with friends) is a sign our life is busy and full of important tasks.
We volunteer and take ourselves and/or our kids to every event or class or practice or opportunity imaginable.
We’re constantly DOING THE THINGS.
This is why I believe travel can be so transformational.
It gives us the opportunity to dip our toe into the art of BEing.
What to do in a massive rainstorm & flash flood and you can’t get a taxi without wading through water up to your knees? Order a glass of wine and watch the rain come down!
Permission to BE
As you begin your travel planning, you might be tempted to fill your days up with tours and site visits and restaurant reservations … so much so that every day is soon full of places to go and things to do.
Sometimes it’s our way of feeling safe or less nervous about the “unknowns” that can come with travel -- we mitigate those things by being busy.
Busy is comfortable. It can help us feel safe.
But giving yourself permission to slow down, to even be what might seem a bit lazy while away, is the key to truly experiencing transformation.
So on your next trip, intentionally leave yourself some room to BE.
One of my “fun days” in Dubrovnik - I wanted to feel adventurous, so I followed another person up through a small gate in order to walk on this ancient stone wall!
There are many ways you can practice BEing while traveling, but below are a few ideas to get you started:
Spend time alone. Whether this means spending a morning in a cafe journaling over a coffee or a walk along the water or through a picturesque area, time alone allows you to practice listening to that still, small voice of wisdom inside that knows you best. If you’re looking for clarity or any kind of wisdom on your trip, giving yourself permission to pause in this way is crucial.
Be curious. When you see something interesting while you’re walking, move toward it. Check out that cute little shop. Buy a snack from that street vendor and enjoy it while sitting on a bench. Walk down that side street with a quaint little restaurant. Talk to your server while you’re there and ask about their life or what they like to do on their day off. Allow yourself to simply BE in the moment and be curious about your surroundings.
Spend a day without an agenda. This is one of my favorite ways to spend time in a new location. I call it my “Day of Fun,” and this is the mantra I use for the entire day (sometimes multiple days): “Nothing is required. Everything is allowed.” You’d be surprised where this takes you! Start by checking in with yourself and asking how you’d like to feel that day. Then start with whatever sounds most interesting first and allow yourself to move toward things that might help you experience the feeling(s) you’re looking for. It might feel scary at first, but I promise, it has the possibility to lead you to some of your best travel moments!
Put down your phone. I gotta be honest, this one is hard for me. I love to take photos with my phone, but I’ve come to realize it sometimes gets in the way of me being present. Instead of experiencing that sunset, I’m trying to take the perfect picture of it. Instead of interacting with or watching those around me at a restaurant, my nose is in my phone. So when I travel, I regularly and intentionally put my phone away and tell myself to be present, to experience what’s before me—live, and in-person. Not view it later through my pictures.
I hope on your next trip you give yourself permission to BE. Practice it and see what comes up for you!
PS: I love two songs by Amanda Lyndsey Cook, both of which are great reminders of the amazing things that can happen when we give ourselves space for quiet and to just be.