DETERRENTS TO TRAVEL ARE IN THE HEAD
July 23, 2008 by admin
Simply because we are human beings, responsible for our own survival, we are constantly tracking at least three questions inside of our minds. Because travel makes the answers less certain, anxiety can arise and we often blame that on the travel rather than on our own mental processes. If you stay home instead of risking a little anxiety you might be cheating yourself without realizing that simply the recognition of the question can calm it down and put you back in charge.
Pop Psychology Question #1 – “How will I get my needs met?” Your body wants to know about food, sleep, health, shelter, safety, transportation and all the nitty-gritty little details of life. In familiar territory, (read: at home), you have that covered and can unthinkingly go about dealing with the finer, more philosophical joys of life. The Travel Industry knows about this pesky little mindstream tracking along in the heads of each human, and they have done wonders to take care of those needs. That’s why most Americans equate exploratory travel with cruises or motor coach tours under the expert guidance of a trained professional who delivers them to fine dining rooms and comfortable hotels and even tells them what time the bus leaves in the morning. No surprises! No anxieties! I think they do a fantastic job and in fact, I am a certified, trained international tour manager, myself. I’m just not very excited about traveling that way.
In my sort of lone wolf travel, I must see to my own solutions every day. Where can I snag some food; preferably some that I can stand to eat? I just can’t manage hot, spicy stuff, so India was a test. Where will I sleep tonight? In every new city, that was the question. Maybe half the time, I had hostel or hotel reservations, but the rest of the time I solved it on the spot. How will I get around? Well, let’s find out….. The truth is that these are needs shared by, and of course, supplied to us by all of the locals. Duh! Solutions are everywhere! No big deal. No need for anxiety. No reason to stay home.
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