Shandra Breaks Down Episode One

Hi! It is Shandra again. Back in episode one, Why You Actually CAN Travel, I broke down the three main reasons why people tell me that they can’t travel. And I wanted to take you through a few of my thought processes regarding my decision to travel again this summer. The main reasons people claim they cannot travel are...

I Don’t Have Time…

This was actually probably the trickiest reason for me this time when considering planning another trip. The reason being: I’m in college. This means that so many of my friends and the people around me are taking jobs and internships over the summer. But here’s the thing: the comparison game is never healthy. Life cannot be a constant competition because in the end, what does winning even mean?

Rob Dial from the Mindset Mentor Podcast broke down the meaning of success in a really different way that I carry with me.

He said:

Success means being able to do what you want, when you want, with who you want.

This simple definition changed the game for me. When I was grappling with the decision between taking a great internship opportunity and traveling again I realized that my success for this summer means going to Mexico, and meeting up with my best friend there halfway through.

So I didn’t take the internship.

And I made time.

I Can’t Afford It…

Unfortunately, life can’t always be frolicking around in the sun on the beach. But that’s probably a good thing because my skin would seriously be bumming right now if that were the case. The gap year that I took last year was split up into parts: 6 months working and 3 months traveling. The thing that has helped me the most in feeling ready to spend some of my hard-earned money on travel is by making a travel fund. During that time spent working, I carved out a portion to funnel into a separate account. This is money that I can’t touch for any other reason than to travel. If something is important to you then quite literally you have to put your money where your mouth is. It doesn’t matter if that’s for designer purses, fancy dinners, or sports games. A good way to feel like you can afford it is by sectioning off a portion of your income that you feel comfortable with and designating it toward that goal.

I Don’t Feel Prepared…

Haha here’s the thing. I super don’t feel prepared for this trip. And I’m leaving in three weeks! But that’s okay. Brianna West in 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think explains that we are never ready for any of the big milestones in our lives. You will never be fully ready to go to college, start your career, or even meet the love of your life. So why should you be ready to travel? If something scares you then that’s typically a sign that you should do it. It can be easy to regard fear as a ‘bad’ emotion and avoid it at all costs. But this will probably lead you to live a stagnant and boring life. Because guess what? Fear equals interest. So take a look at the things in life that scare you. Ask yourself why they scare you. And do them anyways.