What is Slow Travel? How to Embrace this Travel Trend
Slow travel is about looking at the vacation with a less rushed, more laidback approach. It’s not about ticking boxes and saying you did it. Instead, it’s about being where you are and exploring with an attitude of curiosity. It’s a shift from consuming whatever it is your destination can offer you, to exploring and participating in the local culture. - Jen Kazmaier
What is slow travel, and how can I learn to embrace this travel trend?
I feel like I have been conditioned my whole life to think that travelling means seeing as many places as you can. Doing all the things a particular destination has to offer, consuming every last morsel of fun while running yourself ragged trying to fit it all in.
Makes it pretty hard to be able to appreciate the moment and truly experience the place you are visiting though. The rush is always on to get to the next stop.
As a kid, travelling meant sightseeing. It has been a long process to adjust this definition and embrace the fact that I can still really enjoy a trip without going to ALL the major tourist attractions. I am not opposed to tourist attractions, obviously. They are tourist attractions for good reason and are often worth seeing. Although I have been too a few that were so crowded and underwhelming I was left wondering whether it was worth the price of admission. I think we’ve all had those moments.
I guess what is missing from my previous understanding of traveling is that there is so much more to see, learn, and experience in a new place, beyond the things you can buy tickets for. Like the local bakery across the street from your rental that you wouldn’t find in any trip advisor forum.
If I’m being honest, until recently “slow travel” was only an option for people backpacking for months at a time, and just generally not the way it’s done for someone taking a family vacation. Now, I can’t believe I ever held that opinion. My oh my how perspectives can change when there is a willingness to be curious about alternative options.
Slow travel is truly the best way to see the world! I am a moderate in most things and I believe in balance. Too much of anything isn’t good. I am learning to embrace slow travel, while still allowing myself the opportunities to have some jam packed days on my itinerary.
Let me offer a scenario….
Imagine the idea of going to France and renting a house in a small town and just living there. Full stop. There is no rushing around to see all the sights of France, or who are we kidding, Europe. Once you have made the trip to Europe everything is so close by North American standards . Imagine just picking a town and relaxing there, finding the local bakery, walking the local trails, enjoying the restaurants. Taking a drive in the country to see this little slice of the world. Imagine spending a few days, a week or many weeks just getting to know this little piece of the world that is not your home, but may start to feel like it before you leave. Perhaps you take a train trip to Paris for a weekend, just like a local would. Perhaps you explore some neighboring towns, but mostly you are just living your life in a different place and getting to know what that is like.
Is travelling like that just nuts? Are you struggling as you think about all the things you wouldn’t see. A few years ago, a trip like that wouldn’t have even occurred to me. In fact some part of me believed a trip like that is not even allowed. Taking that vacation seems to flip the middle finger in the face of our over stressed, over worked, over scheduled, BUSY lives and say whatever, I’m doing it my way.
If you are a North American and you are going to Europe, it’s a whirlwind or it’s not worth going. Am I right? This slow travel trip that I just described is something reserved for retirees, those with a nomadic lifestyle, or those who have many weeks to do that slow stuff and also see all the sights. But is it?
Now that I have started to travel more frequently and learn more about what works well for my family, a slow travel trip is perfect for us. We had to sort through what we really enjoyed while traveling (getting to know a place well enough that it felt familiar) and what we just did because we felt it was what we were supposed to do (more than one tourist attraction is a day).
I found myself planning an itinerary based on some bizarre sense of obligation. An obligation to who? My social media friends? The coworkers who will ask what we did on our trip? An obligation to satisfy my need to always be accomplishing something and checking off our mental to do lists? Forget that. This is about you. Travelling your own way will inspire and empower others to consider it too. I used to have this sense of obligation to DO as much as possible on a trip. Now, the goal is to truly BE where I am and leave the doing as an afterthought. There are so many unexpected adventures to be had when you give yourself the time and space to really experience a new place. Renewing your body and mind is the whole point of a vacation. Give yourself the chance to do that!
Trust me when I say there is no report to submit at the end of the trip saying what you got done. This is your life and your vacation. Do it your way!
Slow travel is about looking at the vacation with a less rushed, more laidback approach. It’s not about ticking boxes and saying you did it. Instead, it’s about being where you are and exploring with an attitude of curiosity. It’s a shift from consuming whatever it is your destination can offer you, to exploring and participating in the local culture.
For my family this might mean taking coloring books to a lovely spot on the beach to watch the sunset in Maui, exploring a local playground, or visiting the community pool every afternoon to make some new friends.
Most families who travel for vacation are confined to a very specific amount of time to travel (likely 1-2weeks). Because of this time limit, there is a lot of pressure to “make the most” of the vacation, which translates into doing as much as humanly possible in the time you have. I have definitely come back from a vacation more exhausted than when I left. Travelling can be tiring, there is always work involved when getting from point A to point B.
Learning to enjoy the journey is a whole other topic, but I have found that when my family is slow travelling there is just less hustle. We don’t have a rigid itinerary weighing on my mind and a million details to remember. Slow travel means more time, not just in the number of days you spend in one spot, but also in the mental space it provides. I have come to believe that slow travel CAN be a mindset for any length of trip.
For example, we recently only had 12 days to spend in Costa Rica. I picked a home base and planned one “weekend trip” as if we were living there all year and wanted to do a local excursion. The rest of the time we are just going to do our regular life and favorite activities (hiking, kayaking) while we get to know Tamarindo. No pressure, no itinerary.
Here are the 5 things that define slow travel for my family.
Let go of jam packed itineraries. Make peace with the fact that you will not see everything there is to see in your destination. Even if you spend a year, you still may not see it all so just let go of the need to do everything. It’s exhausting!
Slow travel means my day is structured much like it is at home, but I get to add all sorts of exciting new variations that expand my mind and my experience. The best part is a new view to enjoy while having that first cup of coffee!
Slow travel means downtime to explore on your own without a guide.
Slow travel means you get to know the community where you are staying by utilizing local services (i.e. grocery store, church, kids playground or community centre)
Slow travel means you have the mindset of living like a local and immersing yourself in the culture.
I’m still learning about slow travel, but I hope that this helps you consider an alternative approach to vacation planning. A little less pressure, a little more spontaneity, and of course more adventure in the unplanned moments of discovery!
In good health and slow travel,
Jen
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