3 Things You Can Do to Make Your Next Trip Transformational

August 2006: We just came off the 10-hour flight and transferred to our 3* hotel in Cancun. It was hot, it was new, it was exciting. As we walked through the hotel lobby, we were greeted with smiles as the workers could see the excitement exuding from our Cheshire-like grins. We were tired, but the adrenaline of being in a new place overcame the fact that we had very little sleep on the plane. Once we dumped our bags and checked in, we proceeded to explore, and as soon as I stepped through the hotel courtyard onto the beach that’s when it all changed.

I fell in love with travel from that moment onwards. Mexico was my first long-haul destination, and I’d never seen a place like it before – the white sand, the turquoise waters, the nature, the people – from that point, travel had stolen my heart, and I knew it would be part of my life forever.

My Passion for Travel

Fast forward 20 years and this transformative love affair has taken me to over 70 countries. The allure of travel has me transfixed; our relationship is like that of a new and blossoming couple when they first get together. Beady-eyed, excited and fantasising about where each date might take them.

So why does travel have this hold over me? It’s because it’s been one of my biggest teachers. It’s helped me to build a relationship with myself. I’ve used it as a tool for reflection, solace, escapism, joy, and to cope with grief. It’s been my trusty go-to through all my seasons, relationships, highs, lows and everything in between. It’s built my confidence and my connections. From a marketing professional to mindset coach and meditation teacher, it’s changed the trajectory of my life forever.

There Is More to Travel than Meets the Eye

What’s interesting is that travel is finally starting to get the acknowledgement it deserves as being much more than just a holiday to escape life for a bit, but as a tool for deep transformation and wellbeing. It’s undergoing a major shift from the traditional tick-box destinations toward more intentional and transformative experiences.

Celebrities such as Fearne Cotton, Erykah Badu, Eckart Tolle are contributing to the wider travel wellness movement through podcasts, talks and retreats. There’s also a rise in huge media conglomerates covering more travel-related news in their subsidiaries, with big holiday companies and airlines sponsoring or designing products around travel wellness and solo travel initiatives. Finally, travel is starting to get the recognition for its role in self-development, wellbeing and transformation.

You might be an avid traveller and get it, or maybe you can’t see what all the hype is about when you hear another person annoyingly say, “Travel changed my life.” If you know, you know, but I’m not here to convince anyone else otherwise. Like different hobbies, we all have our preferences and can find our joy and even ourselves in different ways.

However, what I would say is that anyone, regardless of stance, can make their next trip a bit more transformational. Here’s how.

Before the Trip

To reap the rewards on your next trip, the beauty is not just in the doing while there, but in the planning before. This is where you get intentional. Don’t just think about what things you would like to tick off or places you wish to visit.

Think About How You Want to Feel

What is missing from your life right now and what isn’t serving you anymore? For example, do you want to feel more alive? Healthier? At peace? Do you wish to remove bad habits, people pleasing, and overpacked schedules? How would you like to grow, and develop? Who do you want to become? What would you like to see in yourself when you return? Then you can start looking at how you can use travel to help you.

Consider Possible Activities and Destinations

Once you have an idea of how you want to feel and what you are aiming for, you can start looking at the activities and destinations that align with that.

What destinations and activities are going to help you create the environment you want, help you achieve your goals or help you grow?

Once you have a list of destinations, it’s then time to start shortlisting and ultimately picking one.

Create a Schedule

So now you have your destination, and hopefully a list of activities to do that will support your growth, it’s time to start putting a loose schedule together, leaving space for you to rest and/or allow you to take advantage of serendipitous moments that will arise. You want a plan that helps you get the most out of the trip without being too rigid or packed that it leaves no room for rest and opportune moments to explore or go with the flow.

During the Trip

Spend some time to honour you, ditch the digital, get out in nature and switch off from the outside world. This is your time to sit and reflect on your thoughts and be fully present.

Reflect

Journaling is going to be your best friend when traveling. Document daily: What did you do, what lessons did you learn? What challenges did you face? What are you grateful for?

Do Something Challenging

Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone; choose an activity or task that will stretch you a little bit, but in the process will help you grow. If your goal is to build confidence, then strike up a conversation with a local or greet someone in the native language.

Prioritise Some Self-Care

Factor time into your schedule where you practice self-care and give yourself some time to fully unwind. Perhaps that’s creating a self-care ritual like having a bath, putting on some soothing music, listening to a guided meditation or going for a walk in nature. Start to rebuild calm back into your life.

When You Return

You may be saying goodbye to the destination but that doesn’t mean that the trip has ended for you. This is time for you to reflect on your travel and bring all that great stuff home. What did you learn? How have you grown and how can you integrate all these ‘aha’ moments into your life once you return? How do you feel and how can you replicate that feeling once you get back home? What needs to change? What needs to be added to your life or taken away?

Once you have reflected, it’s time to turn these reflections into actions for incorporating into your life and really using this trip to truly transform your future.

Stepping onto that beach 20 years ago was the catalyst for me exploring not only the world, but myself in the process and now as a Mindset and Travel coach, I can help women use travel or changes of environment to help carve out their next chapter too.

If you are at a point where you are feeling a little stuck right now, then let’s hop on a free discovery call to work out where you are, at and if I can help.

And if you would like some travel tips and worksheets to help plan and get the most from your next trip then you can sign up to access them here.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What does travel mean to you? Where was your first long-haul flight to? Which experience abroad has been the most powerful in your life and what lessons did it teach you?