The first step: acting on inspiration
What is it about that magic moment that causes action? How is it that you’re gathering information in one moment, and going for it in another?
Yep, you could even call it the tipping point.
I hope that whatever it is for you—whenever it sparks, however small it is—you’ll listen to the inspiration and take a step toward your biggest travel goals.
Thinking back to my own long-term trips abroad, I wasn’t exactly aware of the exact moments of inspiration at the time. Before I tutored English in Italy, I know that I was inspired by a foreign exchange student coming here to the U.S. Before I worked in Australia, I was driven by the fact that yes, it was practically possible to get a visa—I had heard of another American’s travels. In both instances, it was important for me to know that someone else had already done it.
I hope that you too will be compelled to act, and not just to consider. That you’ll be inspired by this travel community’s knowledge and experience, and that knowing what is possible will give you strength. That you’ll take the leap of faith, and put the pieces of the puzzle together as you go along. That you understand that a million “I’d like to”s don’t compare to the actual experience, and yes, it will likely be challenging, but the best of times makes it worth it.
Before the trip, before the work leading up to the trip, is the simple decision to put the process in motion. That’s my wish for you.
Today is my last day at Vagablogging, after a little over two years of blogging here. I’ll be moving on to new projects, but I’m grateful to have had this community and to have been inspired by all of your travel dreams. Wishing you safe (and fulfilling) travels!
October 7th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Good luck to you! Most travelers will act on inspiration. They have a need to break out of the same old routing and go exploring. What they find might surprise them. Perhaps they’ll find their independence or creativity. Maybe they’ll discover self-imposed shackles that are ready to come off. A trip somewhere new can open your mind and horizons.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Alison, we are sorry to see you go and the Married with Luggage team will miss your great writing here.
For us the inspiration can be traced back to August 4th, 2009. This is the day that a dear friend of ours had a brain hemorrhage and nearly died. Today she is doing great, but the event shook us both and we realized that life is simply too short to not pursue your dreams and passions. Within a month of her incident we had made the decision to travel the world, set the date for departure, and put our plan in motion.
Inspiration is certainly personal for everyone, but I hope that through our experience others get motivated to explore how to make their passion become a reality in the near-term, and not some arbitrary date many years into the future. Life is short, but the opportunities are endless.
Thank you for the great topic and good luck in the future.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Very sweet — thank you for the well wishes!
October 8th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Alison – good luck with your future endeavors. What a wonderful post to make your last!