Will You Regret Not Exploring The World? – How to Stop Making Excuses and Finally Travel! ✈️🌎

Imagine yourself 10 years from now—will you wish you had traveled more? 🌎

One of the most frequent exchanges I get into:

“I envy your lifestyle – I wish I had traveled” or “I’d love to travel, but……”

Me – “Well, there is still time, everything is possible, and there are many ways to do it with little money!”

“Oh no, I couldn’t, but you keep going at it while you’re young.”

(I laugh because I barely feel young anymore at 34, but I guess it’s all perspective. 😆)

I try to be empathetic, but I just want to shake everybody so hard and say “Yes you can!” … and I do with some people. Not sure if that’s quite what they are looking for. 🤷‍♀️

Fear vs. Intuition: How to Tell the Difference 🤔

There are A MILLION EXCUSES why not to do something, but if you feel it in your heart: a pull to explore, a push to escape, a curiosity needing to be quenched, or that feeling of future regret, THAT FEELING is worth listening to. THAT FEELING is your Intuition. 🔥

When I was 23, I had been in the UK for three years and had broken up with my boyfriend of three years: I loved him dearly, but I wanted to travel more and he didn’t carry the same wanderlust. But something else was holding me back from booking my flight. Fear had grasped me. 😨

The Excuse

I had planned to go to South America earlier that year with a friend, but she wasn’t ready. 👉🏼 An excellent lesson in not waiting for others to start living the life you desire.

A problem at work, mixed with the gut punch of my ex finding new love : I found myself deviating off course. I fell into the cycle of WORK. PARTY. SLEEP. REPEAT. 💃🏼🍹💤 Nights blurred into mornings. I spent my money on drinks, laughter, and distractions. The community in Liverpool I had been accepted into felt like home. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t just ‘comfortable’—I was stuck. 

My rock bottom wasn’t as low as some, but for me, it was the catalyst I needed to push the button on this trip. I bought my one-way ticket to Rio to soak up the atmosphere of the last two weeks of the UEFA World Cup. ⚽🎉 I had very little money, but I knew I could save it. I gave myself six months to do so. 💰

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

– Neale Donald Walsch

What Are Your Excuses? 🤷‍♂️

1. “I don’t have enough money.” 💸

⚠️WARNING: You can always buy more things, but you can never buy back lost adventures.

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. There are plenty of affordable destinations. As well as opportunities for work exchanges, volunteering gigs, or even paid work abroad. I’ve survived months on a week’s wage more than once! 

👉 Check out my upcoming blog post on How to Travel Cheaply

PLUS: Once you make the decision and book your flight, the excitement and commitment will fuel your drive to save! You’ll be amazed at how quickly your savings add up when you have a goal in mind.

Once I bought my flight to Brazil,  the shift in mentality to ‘I’m going’ was all I needed to fix my life up into a money-saving mission! Reduced section of the supermarket – here I come! 🤑

👉 Stay tuned for my next blog post on How To Save Effectively For Travel.

2. “It’s not the right time. I have responsibilities.” ⏳

🙊 Be honest, how long have you been waiting, and what/who are you waiting for? ⏰ It’s time to take your future into your own hands.

• Own a home? Rent it out. Or even do a house swap! 🏡
• Career commitments? Career break? Remote work? Countless times I’ve heard people regret putting professional goals before personal ones. You will always find another job. …I’ve had about 50! (Once you feel the freedom of quitting you will want to do it again and again! You appreciate your worth and finding jobs gets easier and easier, home or away!)
• Family obligations? I get it—family ties can feel like a significant hurdle, especially when it comes to long-term travel. But with some planning, you can stay connected through visits, video calls, and even short trips to test the waters. Only you know what feels right for your situation, but you might be surprised at how many ways there are to balance family and travel.
• Pandemics! The media made it seem like travel was impossible, but walking through an airport proved otherwise. Many people—including myself—kept traveling. Once you decide you are going, not much can stop you! 🛫
• Children! Some of the most worldly, self-reliant, well-rounded kids I have met have been on the road. If you can make it work with children, I am sure the rewards will be innumerable. It’s definitely possible. 

Time to switch it up??

The Real Reasons Holding You Back 

Let’s be real—the biggest barriers aren’t always about money, time, or logistics. More often, they come from within:

• Fear of the unknown – AKA: Excitement for unknown possibilities! The world is NOT as scary as it’s made out to be. 
• A lack of clarity – Perfect timing for a trip of self-discovery! 🔮
• Apprehensive to go it alone? – For years traveling ‘solo’ I struggled to actually find time alone. Hostels, tours, and bars make it so easy to meet people. 👉 See my blog post on Solo Travel: Why You’re Rarely Alone and Why It’s Highly Recommended!

The First Step Starts Now 🚀

Most travel regrets aren’t about what went wrong—they’re about never going at all.

Take 30 seconds—right now—and write down the one excuse holding you back. Then, write down one way you can overcome it. That’s your first step. If there’s a will there’s a way and small actions lead to big changes.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” 🚶‍♂️

– Lao Tzu

Congratulations! You made it to the bottom of my first blog post. I hope you were inspired and look forward to future ramblings of mine.

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To find out more about me and my vision for ‘FUNCTIONAL HIPPIES’ visit the about page.

Happy trails!

May the journey be ever in your favour, 

✌️ Missy

P.S. Some people don’t want to travel… and that’s fine/normal too! (apparently 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️)