Travel excuses - Can’t or Won’t?

Sometimes when I talk to people about our travel adventures they heave a wistful sigh and grumble one excuse or another as to why they can’t travel. Can’t. Perhaps it should be wont, as I feel that there are a lot of common excuses for not travelling and more often then not there is an answer to them. Here I tackle some of the most common excuses.

Money – Probably the number one reason for not travelling, I know it is often mine and short of winning a massive lottery it will probably always be an issue. However there are things you can do to overcome this. The first is to simply start saving and to find every possible dollar you can. Read my tips on saving to travel. The next step is to figure out how much your trip will actually cost you. Don’t just guess, do some research and get a final number. Sometimes this ends up being higher than you thought, sometimes less. If it is still too expensive in any foreseeable future you either need to change your travel style and downgrade a little. Choose less expensive accommodation, reschedule to the low season, go for less time, and cut costs where you can to come in at a figure you feel is achievable. Sometimes this may even mean you need to change destinations, this isn’t always ideal and can be disappointing but you may find somewhere else that is just as appealing if not more so.

Time - Everyone is allocated some time off from work, use it and plan to use it wisely. Reconsider your priorities for how you use your time off.

Family – Surprisingly there is a big contingent of people that are of the opinion that as soon as you have children you can no longer travel. I call BS, children do not stop you from travelling, it just means you may have to slightly alter the way you travel. You can read more about how to travel with a family in my upcoming post. Some people feel restricted by family either by a lack of support or by responsibilities to care for other family members. In the first instance I would say that this is a self-inflicted idea. If you took the time to sit down with your family and told them of your plans to travel they would likely be supportive, and any perceived criticism is either jealousy or genuine concern, which you can take on board, look at solutions and make them feel comfortable with your choices. For those who are responsible for the care of others I suggest that you could arrange for someone else to temporarily take over your duties while you take a break.

Health - This may be one of the more legitimate excuses however you may need to simply reassess how extensively you can travel. Perhaps you can’t jump on a 15-hour flight to see a lion prowl around a Savannah somewhere in Africa but you could take a road trip to an open plains zoo in your own country. You’d like to hot air balloon over the vineyards in France, try it in your local wine region instead. Think smaller and you can still travel and have amazing experiences. Look into your chosen destination, you may find that treatment is readily available there. Chat to your doctor and come up with a management plan for while you are away. Be sure to check your insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions and take plenty of your required medication, all clearly labeled and accessible in your luggage at all times.

Fear - First figure out exactly what you are scared of. Is it flying, getting lost, the food, the unknown, getting sick, being out of your comfort zone? Then do some research to find out as much as you can about it. I find that the more information you have about something the less scary it seems. Talk to other people who have done it, whatever it is, and you may find that you aren’t really scared at all. If you have a genuine fear, seek some professional advice.

Laziness - Seriously just get off your butt or quit whining.

Language Restrictions - Most travel destinations are tourist friendly and you will find that English, a few hand gestures and a big smile will get you everything you need. Otherwise you have a few options – buy a phrase book to carry with you; download one of the many translation apps available; take some time to learn the language, anything from the basics to becoming conversation fluent; hire a bi-lingual guide when you get there and if you still feel uncomfortable, switch destinations.

Prejudice towards other cultures or destinations – People aren’t often very vocal about this but you can read between the not so subtle lines and see this is what is stopping them. Maybe these people shouldn’t be travelling and I daresay that there is no one reading this that is from this category. If you are, try researching more about it and educate yourself or chose another destination.

What is your excuse for not travelling? Perhaps we can work together to find a solution.