Happy Thursday Hidden Gem Travel community! I hope your start to 2023 has been a happy and healthy one. It’s been busy here in travel- land with clients booking their vacations for this and next year. Their desired destinations include Europe, Africa, Alaska, and Asia – pretty wide-ranging so far.
This week we continue with some inspiring travel quotations to motivate you to start a travel bucket list as one of your New Year’s resolutions. Have fun with it!
I was inspired to write these first two newsletters of the year from the book, Why We Travel: 100 Reasons To See The World by Patricia Schultz. It is 185 pages of inspiring travel quotes, stories, and photographs.
Read on for the scoop continued from last week …
Food For the Soul
Travel Is Food For the Soul
Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible. – Edward Readicker-Henderson
There’s nothing like experiencing a new destination for the first time – or seeing a place you’ve been before with new eyes like when you take a loved one somewhere that’s special to you who has never been there themselves.
Every time I come back from a meaningful trip, I feel like my cup has been refilled and my energy level renewed. That’s the sign of a great vacation experience.
The world is out there – how much have you seen with your own eyes? I encourage you to create a travel bucket list as one of your New Year’s resolutions.
💎 Hidden Gem Tip: If you’re already intrigued, you can simply reply to this email or schedule a chat with me here.
More Alike Than Different
Travel’s biggest gift is making us realize that we are all more alike than we are different.
Strike up a conversation! When you step into someone else’s shoes, you’ll be forever changed when you give them back.
I’ve met some truly amazing and fascinating people in my travels. A few standouts are:
- A British couple in their 90s who got married at 85 and were enjoying a vacation to Italy. It was their first vacation since the pandemic.
- Maasai warriors in Tanzania who protected us from the wildlife living around our accommodations.
- A tour guide in Ireland who regaled us with his life story as a musician in Dublin.
- A native of Croatia who educated us on living through the breakup of Yugoslavia.
- An incredibly jovial tour guide in Mexico who is a young father who found great success taking tourists to the hidden gems in his country.
Who have you met when traveling who inspired you?
The Universal Language of Kindness
Kindness is the one true internationally understood language. It doesn’t take much to be fluent.
If you consider a smile international currency, you’ll return home wealthy.
Travel can be tiring, require patience, and the ability to be flexible when the unexpected arises. Trips planned down to the minute aren’t immune. The antidote is to keep smiling and being grateful and kind. When we travel, we are guests in the hometown of the locals. A smile goes a long way, and I’ve learned this lesson many times 😊
💎Hidden Gem Tip: Where do you want to travel next year? The time to plan is now for 2023, and some clients are booking now for 2024. The travel rebound is still strong, and the best availability and rates are grabbed well in advance.
Look Up and Down
Don’t forget to look up and down and in the in-between places.
If your eyes are open, you will see the things worth seeing. – Rumi
One of the things I remember to do is not just look at eye level but also up, down, and from unique perspectives. You never know what you’ll see, and I find inspiration from looking at where trained photographers point their cameras. I’ve been lucky to have traveled with some professional photographers and have learned so much from them. Also, I recently was on a trip with a retired NFL football player whose ability to notice things that others don’t was uncanny. My advice – think of new ways to see the world when you travel.
Make your own Wanderlist for 2023! As a reminder, Wanderlist is an online portal where you can research, explore, and create shareable lists of destinations and experiences. Share your list with me so I can make it happen for you.
Inspired? Reach out to me now for 2023 and schedule a chat here.
Follow my Facebook and Instagram pages this week for more travel inspiration.
Wishing you and your family continued good health,
Susan
