Photo by Felipie Morin

Modern life is stressful. This is a fact you can rely on. There is rarely any time to take a breath, let alone stand and stare.

At work you see the same faces everyday, people you are forced to be with. A boss/guilty conscience telling you what to do on an hourly basis.

Your brain hurts from the metaphorical weight that is fast consuming your every free thought. There is a sense that your life is spiraling out of control.

As a welcome distraction, desktop computers will flash up holiday snaps or screen savers with places to daydream about. However, hiding behind the pretty vistas are spreadsheets with numbers to crunch and 100-page documents that someone has to read.

No wonder people run screaming to the nearest beauty spot. Some take a two-week vacation; others go the whole hog, quitting to travel. Good for them.

Regular Versus Extraordinary

It is said that travel broadens the mind. Conversely, monotonous routine squeezes the mind into a dark corner where imagination evaporates and inspiration dries up.

I want to say I have perfected the Buddhist monk technique of “nobility in every task“, but unfortunately my patience is wafer-thin at best.

Besides, many Buddhist monks get to look at the Himalayas all day, so it’s unsurprising they are at peace. I’d call it an unfair advantage. Faced instead with a mountain of ironing or a lawn that could feasibly hide a Bengal tiger, escaping for a vacation seems the ideal solution.

I could be accused of putting off today what I can do tomorrow, but countering with another adapted adage – if you live every day as if it’s your last, would the housework get done? And more importantly, would you care?

Restoring The Balance

Photo by Marielito

No matter how much is spoken about work/life balance, the modern world is designed to be out of kilter.

People are striving to be thin, pretty and successful while the message from the media is “must try harder.” It’s as if they have forgotten how to be happy.

Being humbled by nature puts things into context, making the bigger picture easier to see. Spending a couple of hours on a deserted island, just being yourself rather than the frazzled, harried person you are on a day-to-day basis is unquestionably good for your soul.

A difficult trek up a mountain may be challenging, but the rewards from the journey as well as the euphoria of reaching the final destination are incomparable. Experiences like these allow you to be introspective, directing your energy inwards. It’s enough to make you realise that life is so much bigger than the box you are pigeonholed into and rarely fit perfectly.

Contemporary society compels you to rush from one thing to the next, never really appreciating anything and achieving little. Finishing a book or allowing the waves to lap at your toes for an hour would never be described as “achievements”.

They should be. Time spent reading a second-hand book in a tropical garden is never wasted.

Dream With The Fishes

I was once taught by a dive master to picture myself as a manta ray: calm, graceful, elegant, at peace. I have been fortunate to see a manta ray glide effortlessly through the ocean and it was the embodiment of tranquillity.

This technique was invaluable when diving, but is much more difficult to apply when faced with the urge to throttle a particularly annoying co-worker.

However, while snorkeling or diving in the ocean, those spreadsheets and tedious documents are far from your mind. And you will feel all the better for it.

To allow things to wash over you, rather than drag you down into the depths is something everyone is capable of. This is easier said than done – a good reason why many people change their lives rather than let a particular situation beat them into submission.

If you don’t like the view, go look at something else.

The desire to be somewhere physically beautiful is instinctive. In a world where time is everything, a moment spent just being in front of a mountain, watching a turtle swim by or sitting under the shade of a palm tree is balm for the soul.

Don’t put this off, do it now.

What do you think about the life/work balance? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Photo by Jimmy Harris

Guidebooks will always have their place in the travel experience.

But it’s possible to become too reliant on them to the detriment of your trip.

Ideally, guidebooks should be viewed as the starting point of a trip and used to find the right direction rather than something to look to every time you’re unsure of your next move.

Think travel without the safety of the guidebook can be daunting? Here are some tips for traveling without it.

Stay In An Unlisted Place

Some of the best locations are exactly that because they are not listed in any guidebook. They are often more intimate and the staff may go that extra mile to make your stay a truly memorable one.

You will be supporting a local business reliant on passing trade or word-of-mouth (rather than following a long line of people traipsing a well-worn path from the point of arrival to the most highly rated hostel).

Unlisted places may also be cheaper and friendlier, as they are not resting on any laurels arising from their entry in a travel guide.

Disregard Some Guidebook Advice

I would never suggest disregarding guidebook advice where personal safety or cultural respect are concerned – wandering into a mosque wearing a bikini or flashing wads of cash in a neighborhood known for gun-toting criminals are scenarios that will never conclude favorably.

However, if you pay too much heed to every danger described, you could be too terrified to leave your room for fear of being kidnapped at gunpoint or coming down with a rare tropical disease. Get out and explore!

Nobody Likes A Miserly Know-It-All

Insisting you pay $3 per night instead of the current rate of $3.50 because “that’s what the book says” is insulting to your host and rather pathetic.

The guidebook listing will have been written well in advance of your own travels, meaning prices will inevitably be higher. I have been ashamed to hear fellow travelers complaining loudly about sums of money that actually amount to very little in the context of their own lifestyle back home.

You’ll invariably make fewer friends if you behave like this, so just relax and pay the proper rate.

Listen To The People You Meet

Photo by Burge5000

Undoubtedly the best advice I have received while traveling is from talking to other people about where to stay and what to do.

A little-known island is just the ticket when you want to escape the backpacking crowds. But, as you can imagine, a little-known island won’t be tranquil for long once it’s featured in a global publication.

Sometimes the only way to have a bit of peace and quiet is to take a risk and follow advice from people you meet along the way. Remember, they probably had the opportunity to stay for a while and were able to see things from a slightly different angle than the guidebook writer.

Leave The Guidebook In Your Accommodation

Don’t skip the iconic sights, but be open to more obscure ideas. Who knows where you might end up?

For me it was staying overnight in a tiny rural village with a new local friend and his extended family, getting drunk on home-distilled liquor, and trading Lao phrases such as “Can you starch the collars” and “Is there an ATM around here?” from our phrasebook.

I don’t remember anyone I met while visiting the Taj Mahal, but I won’t forget the laughter and warmth of the night I stayed in an unnamed village in the middle of the Lao jungle.

Take A Chance!

The advice given in guidebooks can be invaluable and will give you a birds-eye perspective on issues such as local culture, safety guidelines and an overall flavor of your destination.

However, it’s possible to lose your travel independence because of the safety net the guidebook affords. Sometimes traveling without this cushion and relying on first-hand advice from the people you meet (whether they are locals or travelers) will lead to a more rewarding experience.

By taking a chance on the unknown, you will almost certainly have a more memorable travel experience.

It could be a bumpy ride at times, and you will probably make mistakes along the way, but travel is supposed to be an adventure, right?

What are your tips for traveling without a guidebook? Share in the comments!