Travelosophy: What If Travel Is Your Calling? Zero To Travel Podcast

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today I’m bringing you the first in a new series called Travelosophy that I’ll be publishing at least once a month in the Zero To Travel Podcast.

In this series I share thoughtful questions around long-term travel and/or travel as a lifestyle choice for any period of time.

These questions I pose in this series have no right or wrong answer and my thoughts are my travelosophy or travel philosophy.

I’m curious what you think so if you want to add to this discussion you can email me, send me a message on twitter, or leave a comment here.

In the next Travelosophy episode I’ll share some of those comments with the community – the zero to travel worldwide caravan of listeners.

Now, let’s get into today’s question

What if your calling is to travel?

Well, what is a calling?

For the purpose of this show, I’m defining it as something you feel compelled to do.

The word ‘calling’ has a lot of implications and potential pressures around it.

If someone asks you what your ‘true calling’ is you might not like that question because you don’t have an answer and you wouldn’t be alone.

Some would argue that there is such a thing as a one true calling; something you were meant to do …and others would disagree.

That’s not what this is about so I’ll define ‘calling’ further as something you feel you need to do for a period of time.

Meaning, it does NOT have to be something you do for the rest of your life…we never know how long that will be anyway.

Now I want to ask you, what if you feel, right now, that your calling is to travel for some extended period?

Travel is something your gut and your heart tells you to do repeatedly.

The urge to travel is a knowing that pops up in your mind, your heart and your soul on a regular basis.

It’s something that hangs around so long you can’t ignore it any longer.

What does that mean?

Is travel an acceptable calling to have?

What happens when you begin to think that ‘travel’ is the path you need to choose right now?

Do you judge that thought?

Do you scoff at or dismiss it?

Does it seem ridiculous?

If so, why?

Because often times many or at least some friends and family around you won’t get it, and that’s fine, they can have their opinions.

And society as a whole sees travel as a hobby, or activity - not a calling that is understood as something one must do.

Our minds can be harsher judges then society.

If you feel travel may be your calling right now, and dismiss that thought it’s no different than unsupportive external influences and people.

In fact it’s worse.

Isn’t it reasonable to consider travel as a calling?

Through my personal experience I know that I felt exploring the world was something I needed to do. I wasn’t sure how initially but those details got figured out.

The important thing is if you feel compelled to travel for an extended period of time now or in the near future it’s imperative to support yourself internally, without judgment.

Now, let’s go external for a moment…

Have you noticed that it’s acceptable for someone to make a statement of knowing, a statement of conviction, when that statement falls in line with what our culture and society deem acceptable or to be at a certain imagined level of status?

For example, if someone feels in their heart they want to work in the medical profession and states “I want to become a doctor” that person will have the vast majority of support from everyone.

Society, culture, friends, family.

Doctors universally received a high level of respect, admiration and status. Even the bad ones get it.

I do believe being a doctor a noble profession.