“Travel ka nang travel. Hindi ka na makakapag-asawa.” This is one line that many of us hear from the non-travellers around us. For them, frequently travelling is a terrifying sign of noncommitment. They see us as escapists, fleeing from our circumstances every time we can. What they probably don’t know is that travel itself is a commitment. Here are ten reasons that prove that travel commitment exists.
Also read: 10 Reasons Why You Should Love A Girl Who Travels
The only people who accuse travellers of being afraid of commitment are the people who can’t see past our travel photos on social media. Pictures may paint a thousand words, but the effort we put into curating a trip is more than words can describe. Before the trip, travellers need to plan an itinerary, save up, wait for a good flight deal… And this is just half the battle. Travelling is a commitment, first and foremost because it demands a whole lot of time and effort. The trips are just the culmination of everything we’ve put into preparing for a trip.
Some wise words from the Bible read: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Not all travellers are born rich. Some are just very committed to the thought of travelling that we end up designing our lives around our travel lifestyle. Unlike non-travellers, we are very meticulous about our spending habits because we often think about the money we could instead be putting into our travel fund. Thus, we assess each of our purchases carefully. Now, if that’s not commitment for them, I don’t know what is.
Aside from money, time is also a valuable resource. When you prioritise something, you give it time. It’s one of the best ways of showing commitment!
While there is such a thing as a spontaneous trip (and it’s fun, once in a while!), most of our travels entail careful planning. Sometimes, we even book tickets and accomodations months before our trip. We can be confident in doing so because we know that hardly anything can take the place of travel in our lives.
Once we’ve booked a trip somewhere, we don’t just forget about the trip. We plan our lives around it. When appointments and other occasions arise, we make sure to schedule them on dates that don’t affect our travel plans. Most likely, this behaviour will rub off on other areas of our lives. Because we’re so used to taking our calendars super seriously, we also treat our other commitments with respect.
Leaving the comforts of our homes to explore new places, cultures, and practices isn’t that easy. Oftentimes, it’s uncomfortable. Still, we accept every challenge that comes our way because we know that leaving our comfort zones strengthens us as travellers. We are willing to experience difficulties, and we don’t easily give up. We stick, despite the hardships, all in the name of travel.
Travellers have a lot of responsibilities. To make the most of our trips, we need to do proper research. During our trips, we are responsible for keeping ourselves healthy, safe and secure. On top of all that, we have to manage our time wisely and budget our finances properly. Travelling is not a joke. Only the committed will survive.
We don’t just travel just for the sake of travelling. Most of the time, our trips are for a specific purpose. Sometimes, we travel to develop and nourish ourselves. Other times, we travel to learn more about a certain destination. Being on a mission gives us laser focus and allows us to soldier on, regardless of the circumstances. This said, being focused on completing a mission strengthens our ability to commit.
James A. Michener once said, “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”
Travelling means making ourselves vulnerable. It demands us to be open to different customs and practices. In a way, it immerses us in diverse cultures. With this, travel inevitably involves us in a bigger community. It allows us to interact with people who don’t necessarily share the same values and beliefs with us. And, travelling encourages us to be intentional in leaving positive impacts wherever we go.
When someone asks us where we want to be in ten years, we’re only sure of one thing: We want to be everywhere. This lifestyle of travelling isn’t just a present day stint. Again, it’s a commitment. For some, it’s even a life-long commitment. We know that wherever we find ourselves, we will always have wanderlust with us.
As part of our travel commitment, we allow our relationships to thrive around our love for travel. We have created bonds and friendships through travelling, which later on grows into a sense of travel accountability. Our thirst for travel only develops as we share our travel stories with one another.
Also read: 10 Reasons Why You Should Love a Guy Who Travels
As traveller Jerome Bernardo once said: “Ang pag-aasawa ay parang pagta-travel lang. Pinagpa-planuhan ng maigi at hindi minamadali.” Travel commitment is a thing, and we definitely aren’t escaping reality through our travels.
Say good bye to long drives!
Explore more of Mindanao!
More flight options for everyone!