Misconceptions about Travelling Abroad

What’s stopping you from Enjoying what this Big Beautiful world has to offer?

I don’t know how many excuses I have heard over the years as to why people don’t travel; There are so many misconceptions about what travel has to be and it seams like endless reasons as to why people aren’t jumping into every opportunity they have!

Lets face it, We only have one life, so live it! If travelling and seeing the world is something that speaks to your soul stop listing excuses as to why you aren’t able to, and start making lists of how to make it a possibility.

Here are the top reasons people tell me why they are unable to travel, and my response.

#1 “It costs a lot of Money to be able to travel”

I don’t know how many people actually believe this, the truth is yes it can cost a lot to

The swing In front of our Beach hut in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, which only cost us $30 CAD Per night.

travel, but there are so many ways to travel for less, and places to travel to that aren’t going to be as hard on your wallet!

I have had friends ask if we sell drugs on the side, because they can’t understand how we are able to travel as much as we do, and no we aren’t undercover drug dealers, we are just thrifty when it comes to booking holidays, and we spend a lot of time researching our trips.

If you want to stay in high class hotels, and eat at fancy restaurants then the cost of your trips can really add up, but if you’re comfortable in a small guest house or hostel and enjoy eating local street foods, you can cut the cost of your trip by more than half.

# 2 “It’s not safe to visit certain countries”

With the influence of social media and local news broadcasts certain parts of the world are made out to be dangerous and frightening countries to visit. Before we flew off to India our parents and grandparents were so worried about how safe we were going to be, and with no doubt in my mind I can tell you there were no moments where I actually felt unsafe.

The more you travel, the more you realise that people are kind and welcome you with open arms into their country. More often than not, the locals we run into are curious about our ways of life, and want to talk and engage with us. We’ve spent hours talking with people all throughout Asia who were excited to have someone to practice their English with.

The only thing you need to worry about in India is being followed by groups of school kids wanting selfies.

Don’t get me wrong, there are places in this world where you need to be more cautious; I wouldn’t suggest walking down a back ally alone in the middle of the night in Mexico, but that’s just common sense. By staying away from illegal activities, and being aware of your surroundings there is no reason you should feel like the world is a dangerous place.

My words of advice are to do your research on the country you want to visit, review government travel advisories before your trip, and read people’s blogs and stories on the experiences they had.

Friends enjoying a visit along the Ganges River in Varanasi, India

Don’t let fear stop you from seeing how many beautiful countries there are in this world!

#3 “Travelling is a waste of time”

When ever I hear this a piece of my heart breaks. Travelling has truly made me a better person;

it’s taught us be to be more generous, welcoming and humble about the life we live here in Canada.

Seeing the way of life in different countries makes us feel extremely grateful for all that we have here in Canada.

I don’t think travelling can really be seen as a waste of time if you’re learning about other countries and religions, as well as yourself. Experiences are the reason we grow, without them people wouldn’t change, and travelling is one of those experiences that changes millions of lives every year.

#4 “You have to be able to leave for a long period of time”

I understand not everyone has the flexibility to jaunt away for a month long vacation, after all there are families, careers and other responsibilities we all have to think about. That being said, an adventure doesn’t have to be one that lasts a long period of time. I’m jealous of the people that are able to travel for 6-12 months at a time, I know if that’s what I truly wanted It could be possible, but with the other goals I have that’s not the lifestyle I’m able to provide myself at this time.

We are fortunate to be able to go on extended month long adventures from time to time, but we have also been forced to go on shorter trips, and they were no less memorable or magical! South Africa for example, we only had 2 weeks in total, and the flight time ended up being around 40 hours either direction, but we didn’t let that stop us from seeing one of our Bucket list countries.

Zebra Family, Kruger Park, South Africa

If you are limited on time choose one place, and go. Whether it’s 1 week, 2 weeks, or you’re able to skip away for 3 or 4, the amount of time you haven’t shouldn’t be what limits your adventures. We all have choices, so choose a destination that requires less time to explore, somewhere closer to home maybe, but don’t avoid a trip all together because you’re limited on time.

For us being in Canada the States are close, so for the last few years we have enjoyed our week long beach holidays in Hawaii with Friends and Family.

#5 “Travelling is hard when you only speak one language”

To be honest, for us this is one thing we do struggle with, I can get by with my “Spanglish”, and Justin knows 1-2 phrases in French. A little secret though, English is a widely spoken language around the world, and no matter where you are you will be able to find at least one person who will be able to understand you, even if only a little. Truthfully, It’s quite fun learning new languages and phrases in each country. So take a phrase book or download a language app on your phone and have fun trying to speak new languages.

The Bottle of wine I drank before I read the label to Justin in Greek

Justin has a video of me from our time in Greece, I had drank a bottle of wine then proceeded to read him the label, which was all in Greek. To this day we giggle at the memory, so have fun with it!

#6 “Travelling is a waste of Money”

My feelings on this statement are similar to how I feel when people say “Travelling is a waste of time”. First of all, there are ways to travel for less if you’re trying to save money for other expenses, or want to enjoy adventure as a lower cost. How can you look at new experiences, and bettering yourself as a waste of money.

Everyone has different goals and aspirations in life; some people want to drive fancy cars and live in big houses, others want to own little and see as much as they can. It’s not that travelling is a waste of money, it’s how you, as an individual want to spend your money.

Over the years these are some of the phrases I have heard when I talk about travelling with friends, family, and other people. I think because of these misconceptions people are afraid to jump out of their shell and see this big beautiful world for what it is.

Instead of telling yourself you can’t travel, start telling yourself to travel. Don’t be afraid to experience this world, it has so much to offer each and every one of us.

If we were afraid of travelling, or believed the myths above we wouldn’t be who we are today, and we would have never been able to experience all the beautiful memories below! Big adventure, or small adventure… either way… go on one! You won’t regret it!