How I Stopped Traveling Too Much

In my younger days, I opted to quit my job and travel around the world, which I surely don’t regret.

However, I had to quit that way of living as well.

I could not bear to be a lifelong traveler and I chose to stop traveling too much!

Let me share why.

During my initial days, I enjoyed each day of my solo travel. By the age of 30, I had already visited 30 countries of the world, but I had started getting tired. My body was the worst sufferer than my mind. Even though I wanted to travel more as a fulltime traveler, I had started realizing that excessive journeying was taking its toll on my body.

I would frequently experience high and low blood pressure, and my heart beat would fluctuate too much. Whenever I took the all-inclusive meals on lucrative offers, I could not stop eating too much at the buffet breakfast. And whenever I would travel on budget, I had to suffice myself with cheap fast food options. On some days, I would try to calm my stomach with unhealthy snacks and chips. I knew that I was doing the wrong practices, but travel forced me to do it over and over again.

Traveling in an airplane is the worst experience of all my fulltime travel time. I just hate airplanes, but I cannot help taking a flight at times for long journeys. If the distance that I have to cover is 3000 kilometers, for instance, I would never use any car booking app to hire a Car Rental. I would surely look for the cheapest possible flight that would save me time and money. In my heart, I knew that I was exposing myself to harmful pathogens, for which my body was possibly not prepared. Still, I had to do it because I could not travel such an enormous distance by car on my own.

Being a solo traveler for life was not fun after a few years. The agonies of solo travel had started aggravating and I had already started thinking of living a regular life. I had to search for work in a new country almost every six months. If my employer knew that I would leave work in a few months, they would hesitate to hire me, which made it even more difficult to earn and live in an unfamiliar place. My savings were always meager and I was always desperate to find work, the stress of which would not let me enjoy my journey.

Irregular workout routine also harmed my body. Sometimes, I would start losing weight, and sometimes, I would start losing it quickly. It had began becoming difficult to understand my own body that I had nurtured for 20 years in India under the supervision of my lovely mom.

Finally, as I turned 30, I promised myself on my birthday that I would find a healthier life in Indonesia as it was the place where I found my heart belonged. Now, at 35, I can happily say that I don’t have any regrets in life, and I am enjoying running my hotel in a little island in Indonesia.

And I don’t intend to leave this lifestyle any time soon!  

Why it is Fine not to Travel Alone

I have a problem, a problem with solo travelers who think so high of themselves and belittle non-solo travelers. I have traveled alone to a few places, loved my secluded time, but that does not mean that I would want to indulge in solo travel every time. Solo travel is not the sole best way to travel. I have seen many solo travelers bragging about their experiences, and they make sure that they make other people feel like they are missing something in life if they do not go to place alone. Many experiences in life are unique, but that does not mean that everyone should indulge in them to attain nirvana!

Many people, for example, would never think about scaling the Mount Everest. Does that mean that their life is incomplete?

Never!

I have not done bungee jumping yet, but I do not consider myself any less of a traveler. I am a mountain-trekker at heart, a sleeping buddy at the beach, and a random person on the streets of the world. I love to wander around places all alone, but that is because I have a personality like that. I like to be on my own. I like the space solo travel gives me, but I never brag about it. I hate promoting the notion that I am, in any way, superior to others. When I started solo travel, I had no idea that it would become the coolest thing on social media. I had never even thought about it. It was just more convenient for me to go around alone than wait for people to accompany me. However, I love traveling with people whenever we can make a plan.

Traveling with family

Whenever I go out with my family, I love the time I spend with them. Even if it is a short weekend getaway, I make sure to be with them. As they say, “We owe our life to our parents.” I feel the same obligation, as well as, love towards them. My parents and siblings are a cool set of people; they do not bore me at all. That is why; I love their company even if I have to go to a place like Thailand where other people would not even think about going with a family.

The spirit of travel

I don’t let anyone judge me for what I do. I have the adventurous spirit in me and the curiosity to explore places. I have the freedom to do things I like, be at places I dream about, and be with people I like. Then why on earth, I should not visit places with people. Personally saying, I get bored of my company sometimes. That is when I like to be with friends or family.

Solo travel may be fun sometimes, but not always. When the Self-Drive Cars in Bangalore were launched, I wanted to go for a road trip, but not alone. So I called two of my friends and convinced them to accompany me to Coorg. I got to drive an SUV for the first time, and I had a blast for sure. I, sometimes fall short of words when I comes to explaining my feelings to anyone. Friends are an awesome gift from God.

People are often educative, so are my friends. I love talking while driving or trekking, maybe about politics, education, country, or any random thing in the world. However, I make sure that I talk witt informative people. Many travel buddies have given me unforgettable memories, which would never have been possible if I were alone.