“To travel consciously means leaving your adult self at home to be, as a child, full of wonder, and irrepressibly curious.” Anna Pollock in Conscious Travel
SCO gives you some useful tips about travelling consciously. Here we go.
Minimize your environmental impact while travelling
Take the road less travelled. If possible, try to avoid the major tourist attractions and look further than a top tourist attraction, you’ll find places that are far more exciting, allow the environment to recuperate from the impacts of tourism, and you’ll be doing Mother Nature an excellent service.
A single plastic bottle or bag takes millions of years to decompose, so pack a reusable water bottle or bag and always choose glass over plastic where possible.
Reduce your emissions footprint by using public transport or by walking and cycling. This practice will help you to experience the richness of the culture and give you a chance to mix with the locals.
To have the most eco-friendly experience, choose a direct flight whenever possible because a plane uses most fuel when taking off and landing. Choose to fly in a more fuel-efficient aircraft, such as Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, because this new breed of planes consumes 20 percent less fuel.
Stay at green hotels. Check the hotel’s website and see if they are associated with certification programs such as Green Key Global, Green Globe International, EcoRooms & EcoSuites, and Green Seal.
Take care of simple things like turning off lights, electronics, air conditioning, and reusing sheets and towels instead of washing them every day. Try not to take long showers and switch off the tap while brushing and washing face.
Book your trip with tour companies that adopt a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to tourism. Many organizations contribute to carbon offset programs by funding renewable energy projects and reforestation, help these programs, especially while booking flights.
Travelling Mindfully
Being mindful means being completely present at the moment and conscious of the happenings that are taking place around you. Mindfulness while travelling works on these five basic principles:
- Engagement
- Immersion
- Contribution
- Reflection
- Gratitude
Whenever you visit a breathtaking place, ground yourself, take a deep breath, and appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells of your environment instead of wasting the entire time looking for an Instagram shot.
Rather than hustling from one place to the next, engage yourself, and enjoy what’s going on around you. Slow down and appreciate your surroundings, and immerse yourself in every destination.
As a mindful traveller, you can volunteer where you can and even forego your typical itinerary in favour of enjoying an unexplored opportunity. Conscious travel is all about reflecting on experiences. Before moving to your next destination, pause and reflect on what you’ve learned. This attitude will help you grow as a traveller and as a person.
Gratitude is the cornerstone of mindfulness. Appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells you’re blessed to experience. Be grateful for the beauty of your surroundings and every breath you take
Lessons to learn from travelling
Learn to be more patient and tackle the circumstances as they come. Traveling expands our horizons, making familiar with unfamiliar territory and sending us home with endless stories and beautiful memories.
While travelling, try new things-pick up a new language or dine at a restaurant that serves ethnic food. Likewise, sign up for an activity like sailing, hiking, or flying in a helicopter—experiences that you usually wouldn’t do.
Try to learn new sports as you visit new destinations-hurling, cycling, kite surfing, rock climbing, surfing, volcano boarding, kabaddi, and free diving are some unique sports. These sports open up a world of enjoyable pastimes, a deeper connection to a place, and a solid understanding of its people. These exciting athletic pursuits could end up being your new hobby.
Traveling opens up a world of exotic flavours that you’ve never tried before. Food tells a story about culture. Bond with the locals by relishing ethnic cuisine. Make new friends and try something new that you may never have thought to try. Take with you the new dishes and flavours and try them in your kitchen, making your life more colourful and exciting and remembering your journey through food.
Be the traveller, not the tourist!
Shirley Conlon Organics wishes you BonVoyage!
