Hi
Welcome to Journeys and Jottings. This is the first time I tried recording a short audio clip. I talk about how I slowly became a slow traveler and believe that travel is not about FOMO.
To be honest, I was wondering if I should include an audio clip in a regular post or just do an entire podcast. But I decided to do a hybrid version. Let me know what you think - should I do more such episodes or perhaps share some of my older issues as audio?
Why travel is not about FOMO
Travel is essentially about the joy of exploring and the little serendipitous discoveries that you make along the way. I have always felt that travel is a way of life and as a traveller, who is constantly on the road, I feel that there is very little room for FOMO. However, several travellers exhaust themselves as they try to cram in a lot of things on their itinerary. And even then, FOMO takes over as they see a beautiful filtered image on Instagram and they realize that they have not been there. Here are some travel tips to combat FOMO if you are constantly pressured by social anxiety.
Focus on the little joys of travel
It is always the little things that make for great memories. A fun conversation, a hot meal, a sudden discovery – travel is made up of these precious moments. While we may miss out on a tourist attraction or a fascinating activity, it does not take away the joy of travel. Travel is more than just sights and sounds or a bag of experiences. It is important to shift the focus from the destination to the journey. People make places and very often, the little acts of kindness from strangers add a special element to the travel.
I was heading to the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin and my credit card was not working. An elderly couple nearby came to me and gave me their unused tickets saying that they were too tired to explore the palace and they had to head back. I was grateful and was also overwhelmed by their kindness.
Be a mindful traveller
Travel is not just about getting into autopilot mode. Most itineraries turn us into robots. We are either forever in a planning mode, or we are mindlessly rushing from one place to another. And that can sometimes leave you exhausted or even with a sense of FOMO. There is never a dearth of the top ten or the top 100 places that you must see. But if you run behind every place, you’ll not even enjoy the top three places since you will not be able to soak in the moment.
A mindful traveller is always immersed in the present – be it sipping a cup of coffee, attending a culinary class, trying kayaking for the first time, or even doing nothing. Less is more becomes the mantra. Travel is also about being practical. You cannot do everything. I was in Rome for just a day and I could hardly explore a couple of sights. Whenever FOMO hit me, I reminded myself that even Rome was not built in a day. I have stopped planning a detailed itinerary during my travels and I go with the flow. And that leaves me with no room for FOMO.
This journey is about you
Travel is about being you. It is your journey, your holiday, your interests, and your choices. You do not have to live up to the expectations of anyone, who claims to have “done the destination. “ I have always been a bit of a laid-back traveller, reveling in the very essence of a journey, listening to stories, and exploring the culture of a destination. I am not into adventure sports and I also have a bit of a water phobia.
Initially, I would feel a sense of FOMO when I used to see all the travel photos dripping with adrenalin, but then I realized that this was not me. As my health slowly went down a bit, I also learned to focus more on my body and mind than allowing FOMO to get to me. I realized that my interests lay elsewhere and I travelled for my personal fulfillment and not for a bunch of likes on Instagram. I started to remove things that created anxiety in me and started concentrating on things that kept me happy.
Experience the joy of stillness
It is probably ironic as I speak about stillness while we are traveling. And yet being still gives a different perspective to our journeys. It is all about being present in the moment. By staying still and grounded, we consciously remind ourselves where we are. Pauses are so important in every journey. The mind is without chatter and is far more lively and open to new cultures, traditions, and experiences. There is no question of FOMO as the mind is engrossed in the present experience.
I take every chance I get to breathe and meditate. I consciously have a few rest days in my itinerary, if am on the road for a long time. On the last day of our three-week road trip in Europe, we checked in at an airport hotel in Milan as we had a late-night flight. But we decided to spend the entire day lounging and relaxing as we had earned it. It was important for us to just savour the journey before heading back home.
Support my work, please
I do hope that you enjoyed reading this issue. Looking forward to your feedback as always. As mentioned earlier, if you would like to collaborate do drop in a message here.
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See you soon! You can also read my travel stories on my blog and follow me on my social media.
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