How I Manifested A Year of World Travel

Travel has always been my top desire — ever since I was a little kid. Probably because I grew up in Alaska and I would read about this whole world outside my little town. Even California seemed so far away and exotic.

Last year, I took a leap and went for my dream to just travel. I worked from my laptop and went to places like Costa Rica, Europe, and the Caribbean. But I didn’t just pick up one day and go, there was a process I went through to see my dreams come to life.

Below I share my story and outline the steps you can take to start creating your own travel plans.

1. Set the intention

Creating a lifestyle that I could live out of my suitcase and work from my laptop started with the firm intention to do so. It wasn’t until I decided — definitively — that I was going to pack everything up and travel that everything started to move into place for me.

It can be hard to make definitive choices — I have always had so many desires, that it is hard to just commit to one thing. Traveling the world meant putting other desires on hold — getting a new mountain bike, teaching yoga, creating a product based company, just to name a few… But when I made the choice to go after that one thing and put all my energy into it, things started to move into place on their own.

This part is easier said than done. It can be hard to commit to a path and not second guess yourself. My advice is to start asking yourself the question, “What do I really want to do next?”

I committed to my choice while I was going through my yoga teacher training. Everyone there kept asking me if I was going to teach when I got home, and sometimes I would say, “Yes” and sometimes I would say, “Maybe”. It wasn’t until I was having a real conversation with a friend on a long bus ride that I actually opened up to this question. Instead of saying what people wanted to hear or giving a generic answer, I just blurted out — “I really think I want to put everything in storage and travel for a year”. That answer felt amazing to say out loud. It felt totally aligned with who I was. As I kept getting the question, “What are you going to do after our teacher training?” I let my answer evolve. That was how I came to my definitive decision.

Now you don’t have to arrange for twenty people to come up to you and ask “What are you going to do next?” You can find your answer by journaling. Simply write down the question, “What am I going to do next?” And let yourself go. Just keep writing and come up with different answers. Which answers feel the best? Keep coming back to this question every day for a few weeks and you will see a solid answer take shape. Also, remember to be patient. The answer may not be right there in front of you. It may take a little time to evolve your next step.

2. Take Inspired Action

Once you’ve made your decision, go after it. I started by making a list of everything that I thought I needed to go on my year long journey, then crossed off what wasn’t essential. I realized that I needed a lot less than I had thought. It was really only a part-time, online job to supplement what I was making from my business. I had given my search about a week of effort when I ran across a job advertisement for a position at a local company I had worked at a few years prior. They were hiring for exactly what I had done before. I knew it wasn’t remote, but I could do it remotely. So I sent in my resume, emailed my previous boss, and told them I was looking for a part-time, remote job and if the job they had posted would be flexible for me to work solely from home. Not only were they happy to accommodate me, they were thrilled. Everyone that worked in my department had recently left, so I had more experience than anyone else currently working that job. Running across this ad seemed like a complete coincidence and the fact that they were able to accommodate me felt like pure luck.

Your next step is to make a list of what you need and then whittle it down to what is essential — what is a must. Next, make a list of 20 things you can do to make those things or that thing happen. It doesn’t matter if you do all twenty things, it’s the process of putting yourself out there and moving into action which signals to the universe that you’re serious. You may find that the opportunity you need will come along in a totally unexpected way. (Like it did for me.) Be open minded and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.

3. Start Small

When I dreamed of traveling, I imagined candle lit dinners on the canals of Venice, walking for hours around the Louvre, and skiing the slopes of the Alps. But if I had waited for the time when I could afford exactly what I wanted, I would still be waiting. When we set off on our year of travel we went to Costa Rica, where we were living on around $1,000 a month. It was in no way my romantic vision, but the surfing, yoga, and sunsets were incredible.

By taking that first leap of putting everything in storage and moving to Costa Rica, we sent a strong message to the universe that we were serious about traveling. Shortly after, our business took off. (Coincidence?) This allowed us to start thinking bigger — where could we go next? My sights were set on Paris from the very beginning, so that was our next stop. Everything started to snowball from there. By the end of our journey we found ourselves on a sailboat in the Caribbean eating lobster every other night.

When we started, we couldn’t have just hopped on a plane to Paris and felt good about it. Costa Rica felt totally doable for us, so that’s where we started and it’s what lead us to getting to Paris.

What version of your dream feels totally doable to you right now?

What is the next small step you could take toward your dream?

If you dream of traveling, you don’t necessarily have to get on a plane. Break down the aspects that you love about traveling and find it right where you’re at. For example, if you love trying exotic foods, try a new restaurant or recipe at home. If you love exploring new places, go on a camping trip somewhere you’ve never been or go to a town within driving distance and explore.

Small steps create momentum. Before you know it you will just be “that person that is always traveling to fun places” or “that person who is always posting photos of amazing looking food on Instagram”.

One thing is for certain. You can’t just sit around waiting to be the person you want to be or have the life you want to live. It’s a co-creation process where you’ve got to meet the universe half way. So to recap: First, get clear on what you want and make a definitive decision. Second, figure out what is essential to make that happen. Third, start where you’re at and make the next doable, best-feeling move in the direction of your dream.

Now it’s your turn.

I’d love to hear what your big dream is in the comments below. Bonus points if you can tell me what you need to get there and what you’re doing right now to live a version of your dream within your means.

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