Exploring Purposefully…

I remember going to Disney World as a kid, and at one point, it felt like we were racing across the park to get to our next attraction. We asked my dad why we were rushing, and he said, “We’re not rushing. We’re walking with purpose.”

I was raised not to waste time. To make the most of every moment. To optimize every opportunity, to pack it all in. We prided ourselves on fitting in an additional activity (a run AND a coffee shop visit?), on working hard and playing harder.

It can feel exhausting to always be going at full speed, and as I’ve gotten older and been able to plan my own adventures, I’ve started to appreciate the spaces between the activities, a chance to feel aimless and carefree. However, I find that I feel calmer and enjoy myself more if I know all my options and can make deliberate choices about how I spend my precious time. If I’ve researched the attraction and know the best way to efficiently get where we’re going, but also know about the alternatives nearby in case we want to skip it and grab a snack in a park instead.

As my family has matured as travelers, I’ve also really enjoyed trying to nail the balance between doing stuff and not doing stuff, getting out there and laying around, making incredible memories and quietly regrouping. I love planning an itinerary that we will all enjoy, creating epic experiences and calmer moments, and being prepared to pivot as needed.

I work a lot, and life is busy. When I have time for vacation, I want to make the most of it. I love travel planning, searching blogs and tour guides and crafting the perfect itinerary for our specific goals. While planning and researching is part of the fun, so is curating photos and reliving memories afterward. We like to move (lots of walking around and hiking), we enjoy learning about the history and culture of a place (some museums, a tour here and there), and we love eating and drinking local specialties. Our style isn’t fully immersive – we recognize that we will always be American tourists after all – but we want to feel like we’ve discovered something new for ourselves that we’ll carry forward. I hope this blog provides you with some fun travel inspiration, and if you enjoy traveling the way I do, maybe you’ll find something useful for your next adventure. 

Thanks for reading!
– Rachel