Why you shouldn’t travel too fast

Why It’s Better To Travel Slower

The world is moving at a fast pace and everyone in it seems to speed through life missing some of the best bits. Traveling is a chance to relax and allow yourself to experience a slower way of moving through life. Things you might miss while speeding through a travel itinerary include:

Serendipitous encounters

Imagine waking up and looking out on the small town you are “passing through” and seeing a festival right under your nose. Are you able to take the time to stay and enjoy the lively event or do you have to keep to your timetable? This is a once in a lifetime encounter. There will be more interesting stories and memories to make you smile instead of rushing to the next tourist spot.

Quality Not Quantity

If you’ve ever taken a bus trip for a journey of hundreds of miles, you will certainly get there quicker. What are the life-enhancing moments that you remember? The uncomfortable seats, the overwhelming amount of stops at little out-of-the-way bus stations, the noises and smells while you try to sleep or the rest stop food? Walking or biking through communities with interesting sights and people may take longer but leaves such indelible memories much more worthy of sharing.

Cultural Exchanges

Driving through parts of the country is nice for a quick look at the landscape and brief encounters at gas stations or restaurants. Hiking takes you to more remote places, shows the changes in the landscape, allows you to stop and talk to the locals avoiding the stress of having to watch the traffic instead of the sunset. Listening to stories and histories told by those who lived it is much more enlightening than anything a travel brochure offers.

Perspective

Visiting major tourist sights like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore or the Empire State Building might offer a certain type of enjoyment. However, waiting in lines with hundreds of others and rushing off to the next sight won’t give you the life-enhancing experiences of standing quietly near a small river, a lesser known canyon, sharing a drink at a locally-owned pub. It’s all in the perspective of how you want to experience life. What’s more important to you – enjoying a peaceful moment or seeing as much as you can, leaving you stressed and wishing you were home in your bed?