I just want to start this post by saying this does have something to do with travel.
So 6 days ago, I got sick. Nothing sinister, just the usual sore throat, headache, no energy situation kind of sick. I spent a good 4 or 5 days in bed, going insane with a nice dose of boredom, uncomfortableness and desperately craving a triple cooked chip, just one. You know the game shows where they give away a car, and the cars all set up on this stand, doing it’s 360 degree circle, lights shining down. Now get rid of the car and imagine a giant triple cooked chip in its place, golden and crispy. Thats where my mind went for a while. Crazy. As for the chip, I think it was one of my last memorable meals I had before I got sick.
It’s amazing how much we take for granted when everything’s going well. Last week my biggest dreams were to have a wildly successful travel blog, helping people travel all over the world. A few days ago my biggest dream was to be able to swallow my own saliva without concentrating and feeling like I was swallowing razors.
When you spend 5 days in bed, you start thinking, and reflecting. The one thing I noticed was how hard I found it to slow down. The first couple of days were filled with guilt over not doing work. The next couple I didn’t care because I knew I needed to take care of myself, and then now, I’m feeling better, and I’m almost scared to delve back into that vicious cycle, afraid I’ll lose the wisdom I got out of the past week.
You see there is an art to going slow. Not the lazy kind of slow, or the sick kind of slow, but the kind of slow where you stop to smell the roses. Where you are being productive not just busy, so then you can stop, and really stop, and have some time. The kind of slow where you’re not just doing, but you’re creating, appreciating. The kind of slow where you are taking care of yourself. The kind of slow that makes the fast enjoyable and worthwhile.
The Travel Part
Have you ever uttered the words “I need a holiday”… after you got home from a holiday? I am guilty. We have a certain period of time to travel, and sometimes it can be tempting to do as much as we can. And I love this, don’t get me wrong. Especially if you don’t know if you will make it back there again.
But slow travel doesn’t mean you have to travel at granny’s pace, or stay in a resort pool for 2 weeks. It can mean exactly what you want, but doing the things you choose in a slow, meaningful way. Here are 5 ways to reap the benefits of going slow whilst you travel:
- Be Mindful of where you are and what you are doing
- Don’t plan a full itinerary, rather have a list of things you would like to do, and then fit them in as you wish
- If you know you’re going to be busy in one place, balance it out at the next
- Prioritise what you really want to do, and be realistic about seeing all the sights
- Spend time just getting lost in the streets
The Art Of Going Slow
So there seems, there really is an art to going slow, and unfortunately it is one I am yet to master. But, it is also an art that I now strongly believe its worth investing time into.
As a matter of fact, thats the only thing you need to do.
Do you have trouble going slow? Or have you mastered the art?
Let us know in the comments below…