Can You Stop Aging Out Of Travel?

• 15 years ago

Getting older doesn’t mean you will inevitably stop traveling but aging out of travel is easy to succumb to. You won’t notice it until it’s already been years in the making, much like that gray hair or wrinkle. We all inevitably get older you’ll find your friends and own travels become far and few between.

Here are some of the signs to look for when you’re in your 20s and what have some 60 years old figured out to traveling for a lifetime.

You Keep Going Back To The Same Place

We all have favorite cities or close relatives somewhere else in the world. As your time and money become limited you’ll find yourself going back to those places more often than not, sacrificing everywhere else in the world.

Cure: There are two good ways to take your anti-aging potion for this one. Depending on the time you have and your situation plan to go somewhere you’ve never been at least once a year. Another good thing is to make a mini-trip out of any ‘regular one’ you take.

• Going to Europe from the US? Spend a night or two in Iceland on your way over.

You Have A Little More Stuff Each Year

The more time passes the more stuff we accumulate. Your car and house are major possessions but really the equivalent of giant containers that you’ll eventually fill up with more things. Not only do lots of possessions take up space and money but they weight down your thoughts.

Cure: Reduce your debt and keep only things around that you need – not want. Overcoming the obstacle of money starts with good planning and a simple travel budget for your life.

You Fall In With The Crowd

When your friends stop traveling you’re more likely to as well. Marriage, kids, and a new job don’t mean that you can’t travel. It only means that your travels will change although many of your buddies won’t see it that way.

Cure: Take a solo trip with your family and show your friends what they’re missing out on. Even if it doesn’t convince them you’ll keep traveling if you don’t let these misconceptions get you.

Challenge Yourself

Simply going somewhere new will get old too unless you keep trying and doing new things. Go outside of your comfort zone – something that gets harder the older you get. Push yourself to see and try new things no matter how insignificant they may seem.

• Try one of these top 10 bizarre foods.
• Give back. Don’t think you can? Check out Teresa Wilson’s first time volunteer experience in Nicaragua.
• Embrace the digital nomadic tendencies and don’t be afraid to travel with a laptop.
• Watch for other warning signs and keep the trip going.

Continuing to travel as you get older is probably one of the biggest challenges you’ll have to get over time and time again. The warning signs are there and show up early on and unless you address them early on it’ll be easy to fall into the routine of so many others who reminisce about “the good old days”. Traveling may age you biologically but that doesn’t mean it has to slow you down.

[photos by: schnaars, Skrewtape, Alana Holmberg]