4 Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into Travel

If you searched Instagram, you'd be hard pressed not to find people boasting about their travels - how many countries they've been to, how their life of travel is awesome, and how you should do it too. Instead of designer handbags and fancy cars, travel has become the new "it" thing to showcase status. People are in search of over-the-top experiences, stories to tell to share with their (Instagram) audiences and low-key bragging rights. There's nothing wrong with those things (well bragging rights, maybe), but it has to make you wonder...is travel for the sake of travel just another form of consumption?

According to Dictionary.com, mindfulness is defined as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique." Mindfulness has been practiced for thousands of years in religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. However, it has become popular in recent years as people are living increasingly busy lives and meditation has become a popular coping tactic. So how can you incorporate mindfulness into your travels?

1. Set your intentions.

Before your travels begin, think about what you want to accomplish through your trip. Do you want to use your vacation to relax and reset? Or to party like there's no tomorrow? Whatever the case may be, setting your intention before you travel will help you to remain true to the purpose of your trip.

2. Absorb your surroundings.

I specifically remember being in South Africa and being so excited to share with my audience everything I was experiencing. Good food, good people, good vibes. But I was missing it all because I was too busy on my phone instead of taking in everything happening around me. I caught myself, put my phone down, and completely took South Africa and all of its awesomeness in. While it is important to document your travels, don't forget to take a minute to internalize the moment you're in and express thankfulness for it.

3. Write in a journal.

Before your day begins or ends, take a moment to reflect on how you're feeling and what you're thinking about where you are. You'll be able to look back on those thoughts and feelings and remember the time and place for better or for worse. Either way is a learning lesson.

4. Be still.

Have you ever just taken a moment to sit and be still in the moment? Sometimes the ins and outs of travel can happen so quickly that we can forget to just take a moment to ourselves. Sit. Be still. People watch. Whatever it takes to just be in the moment.

The more I travel, the more I've felt it is important to travel with intention...to travel more mindfully. In the age of mass social media consumption, it can be hard to remember that travel is a privilege and a gift. Don't squander it trying to front for the 'gram.

A Year in Review: Lessons Learned in 2017

At the end of 2016, I was slightly burnt out from my biggest year of travel to date. I'm not one of those travel bloggers whose goal is to travel year-round without having a home base. I like having a career (that affords me the opportunity to travel), being able to spend time with my family and friends on a regular basis, and having stability. My goal this year was to find a better balance between my home life and travel schedule. With only 10 days standing between 2018 and me, I can honestly say that I feel like I succeeded in my effort.

In 2017, I traveled to Seattle and Vancouver, Guatemala (six weeks), Miami (twice), South Africa (four weeks), Kenya (four weeks), Charlottesville (one week), London, Philadelphia, Ghana (10 days) and Las Vegas. While that may be a lot or a little to you, it was just right for me. I went somewhere each month this year but was still home enough to feel like I wasn't packing and unpacking every week.

I learned a lot about myself this year, mostly that it's okay to stay in my lane. Will Drink For Travel is almost four years old and with so many travel blogs out there, it can be difficult to find and keep my own voice. That sounds cliché, but it's true. I also learned many of the following important lessons throughout my travels:

1. Be flexible.

I was supposed to spend eight weeks in Kenya but because of their elections and concerns for safety, I was forced to cut my trip short. This meant I had to condense all of my travel plans into a few short weekends. I had to pick what I thought was most important for me to see. I chose to go to the beach (duh) in Mombasa. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I've seen and served as a reminder that I have to sometimes make priorities and stick to them.

2. Revisiting old places can be great.

This year I visited a few familiar places, including Miami, London, and South Africa. I've always had mixed feelings about visiting places multiple times. With so many places in the world I haven't seen, I always feel like I can visit a new place instead. But this year, I found myself longing for Miami, on assignment in South Africa, and wanting to see my beloved Baltimore Ravens play in London. While I had been to each of these places before, my trips this year were different than previous times and I found myself falling in love with each even more. It was a great reminder that revisiting places can provide new experiences.

3. It's okay to want to stay home.

Last year, I was in Zambia for around nine months in total and while it was amazing, it also took a toll on my personal life. I was missing birthdays, graduations, and many of other life's happenings. I made a concerted effort to balance my time this year with a better mix of home and travel. I've probably spent somewhere close to 5 months out of the country this year and I've fared much better with a balanced life.

4. Savor the moments. 

As a travel blogger, I want to capture as much as I can. But in many cases, I've found that I was missing what was happening around me. There are a few places I went this year like Miami and Las Vegas where I didn't really want to create any blog content. I wanted to enjoy my time with my friend and my mom. I've learned to know when to turn blogger mode on and off in order to be present and in the moment.

5. Be open.

As I said last year, this will always be on my list of lessons. I find that the more open I am, the more I'm able to receive from the world in return, which can be both good and bad. But in my experience, I've found it to be mostly good. I'm so ready for whatever life has to offer!

I'm looking forward to 2018 and everything that will come my way. Cheers to a fresh start and a chance to see more of the world!