Why I love to travel.

2020 is a different year.

Big time.

The pandemic has affected so much, and travel is up there pretty high on the list.

The expression, where there is a will, there is a way, has no power to change that. It just is. For now.

We can still reminisce of past travel days, and dream of future adventures. This helps.

Gratitude for what was and hope for what will be.

Gifts in themselves.

Two years ago, I shared this travel reflection from my trip to Greece and Italy. It popped up in my Facebook Memories feed, and it has served as a wonderful reminder of what this experience meant to me.

Traveling is a choice. A privilege to I know, but a choice first. And I choose to travel.

I look at diamond earrings and calculate how many trips to (insert country here) those earrings would be.

That’s how I calculate things.

In trips.

I don’t care for the latest tech, expensive shoes, artwork, a fancy car, or designer clothes.

I choose to travel. It fills me up in ways that Apple, Michael Korrs, or Tiffanys never could.

I had just returned from a dream vacation in Greece and Italy. I say ‘dream’ because I set my sight on this trip 6 years ago. Two years ago I made it happen. I shared many pictures and videos, but words and pictures will never signify the range of emotions I experienced while on that trip.

I love to share pictures and videos of my travel adventures. I think about my family and friends who I know would appreciate seeing it the way I do. Many times, I’ll say, “Nat would crack up at this.” or “My dad would love seeing this” or “I know Lisa would appreciate the contrast of colors on this” and on and on.

I appreciate the gifts and lessons that trip has given me, and I’d like to share them here with you.

Here was my top 16 list;

1) Aim to be the first people to board a cruise ship. It will be way less stressful. Give yourself a lot of time. Know the area. Never assume. Read the fine print. Take a taxi to the check-in area. Always, take a taxi. Never, never, never walk to the terminal. I’m sure I added many more grey hairs to my wisdom highlights by being the last two passengers on board with 30 minutes until departure.

2) Always have water on you. Always. Take a water bottle and refill it every chance you get. You will never have to experience a mouth so dry you can no longer swallow. Not fun. This was an added outcome to the lesson noted in #1. LOL.

3) Recognize that people will do things that make you feel every emotion; happy, sad, anger, shock, joyful, etc. Sometimes it will warm your heart and other times make your heartache. It’s a big world, and we have to share it. Just worry about being the best human you can be.

4) If given the opportunity to walk down the steps in Santorini with the donkeys and thousands of others, do it. It will stink, but the memory will stay with you forever. And it always helps to giggle and drink your way through it.

5) Enjoy the view first, take it all in, and then take the picture. Don’t view it all simply through the lens of your camera/phone. So many people experience life through their phones. It’s sad to see.

6) Always be prepared with your own tissues and hand wipes. More often than not, both will not be available to you in public washrooms, even after you paid 50 cents to use it. Oh, and it’s good to have on hand in the event you get a sudden nose bleed in the middle of the Rome Train Station. Yup, that happened.

7) If you have the chance, light a candle in memory of your loved one in a beautiful Church in a foreign country. It fills your soul.

8) Appreciate the purity of the moment when an old Italian lady communicates with you in Italian on the train, just so she can point out a beautiful cathedral as the train passes by.

9) Smile when you see pure acts of chivalry. It still exists in Italy. I saw it many times.

10) Watch the sunset when you can. Every sunset is different. Its beauty is unique.

11) Enjoy all the delicious food, wine, and sweets. The walking will help wear off the extra calories.

12) Get up early. Be the first in line whenever you can.

13) Never allow yourself to get too hungry. It’s much harder to make sound decisions when you are hangry.

14) Ask for the price of items before you commit because the price of an item (Corona) is likely to double the closer you get to the touristy area.

15) Appreciate the authenticity of each city/region a country has. Naples is the complete opposite of Rome, and Mykonos is the complete opposite of Athens.

16) Be grateful for every moment. And when you can share these moments with someone you love, be even more grateful.

Travel may be uncertain right now, but eventually this too shall pass.

For now, I dream of my next destination, Amsterdam.

And Austria.

And Spain.

And France.

And Belgium.

So, until then, I have gratitude for my former travel days and hope for future adventures.

Gratitude and Hope.

They are the best of friends, in my journey of life.

With gratitude, always

Nicole Osmond

Customer Success Coach

As a Customer Success Coach and 3 X business owner, I am living my passion and helping companies succeed by cultivating a customer committed mindset.

A Writer with Heart – I weave words together to stimulate, elevate, and motivate. My blog is my canvas to share my ‘experience nuggets’ with you! Thanks for stopping by! With gratitude, always – Nicole