According to the Familiarity Principle, people may enjoy themselves more in a place they’ve previously visited than hopping from one place to another.
While this planet offers many incredible places to explore, and humans have an innate instinct to want to explore as much of it as they can, there is something special about visiting the same place during different seasons of your life.
“You can never visit the same place twice. Each time, it’s a different story. By the very act of coming back, you wipe out what came before.” -Maureen Johnson
There is more to discover on Earth than you could ever see in one lifetime, and chances are you won’t be able to see everything. What’s more, it’s okay to return to a place that feeds your soul, and any home like that is certainly worth a second visit. If we’re honest, even if you’ve seen all the touristy places you’ve read about in books or seen on Instagram, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Checking All Your Boxes
Humans love to make lists. When we accomplish things from our endless lists, our brain gets a rush of dopamine—a neurotransmitter responsible for generating feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, and happiness.
If you’re like me, you’ve no doubt already made a list of places you’d like to visit. But what if we want to re-check a box and see the same place again— should we stop thinking about the next new place and enjoy revisiting a place that holds fond memories? You can do both.
When traveling to someplace new, we tend to want to see all the touristy places we’ve seen in books and online. After all, you’ve probably seen many pictures of the Louvre your whole life, and it would be a shame to miss it. And that’s okay. But also make it a point to enjoy the small local shops and eateries around the Louvre.
There’s More Than One Beaten Path
Today, younger GenXers, Millennials, and Gen Zers want a more authentic, local feel to their vacations. Enter Airbnb, the online marketplace connecting travelers to personally owned places, and now Airbnb Experiences.
While Airbnb is not an entirely new concept, locals have been renting out extra spaces for millennia, Airbnb Experiences allow you to live like a local for a while, and you don’t need to stay in an Airbnb to book one of theirs Experiences.
Popular Airbnb Experiences include city tours, biking treks, cooking classes, maker workshops, goat yoga, and more! And since nobody knows the destination like a resident, the local tour guides offer stories and facts about the area you would not explore on your own.
And if you’re looking for like-minded people interested in the same Experience, social Sites like Meetup.com will allow you to make new friends while enjoying a shared activity.
Let Go of Your Expectations
Heading to Daytona Beach, Florida, in your 40s with your family is probably a much different experience than when you partied during spring break at nineteen years old.
As a rule, you should not revisit the same destination with the exact expectations you had way back when—be ready to view the area in a whole new light, and it will feel brand new. Part of this is purposeful planning. Make it a point to see some cool new places that may have popped up since last you’ve been there.
Reliving the past can be nostalgic, but it can never be the same trip. Plus, you get to share those places and memories with your family now.
Ways to Create Travel Income
If you can imagine it, you can create it. Technology makes earning passive income easier than ever before. Here are three ways to fund your wanderlust.
- Liquidate Your Liabilities —Do you need more money to travel and explore this big, blue world but don’t necessarily want to work more hours? Then sell your timeshare. Hear me out. A timeshare is one of the most significant liabilities ever created in the travel industry. Take back your financial freedom and all that money you’re paying for other people’s vacations by getting out of your timeshare contract with a good timeshare exit company like Timeshare Specialists; they get the job done. But is Timeshare Specialist legit? Click the link to find out how much more of your own money you can put back in your pocket.
- Share Your Experiences— While you are on your adventures, why not share them with the whole wide world? Sites like TikTok and Instagram make it so easy to share your moments. Monetize those clips by researching social media marketing to earn extra spending money or even fund an entire dream trip.
- Freelance—While on the road or the mountaintop, you can earn money doing an infinite number of freelancing projects. Monetize your skills or learn a new one. People will pay you to create digital content, write articles or drop ship t-shirts to the masses, and you don’t even need inventory.
Live Your Dream Life Moments
Create a life from the experiences you choose, and you’ll always be rich. Understand not everything during your trip will be rosy. You’ll no doubt face challenges but remember the lessons you’ve learned from them. Adjust your sails and do what you can to recognize the small moments that bring you joy. And lastly, enjoy the sights, sounds, foods, and people you meet along the way.
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