The Conversation That Changed the Way I Think About Travel

About a week or so ago, I was talking with a good

friend about something that’s been sitting heavy on my mind lately: how much I want to travel, and how often life seems to get in the way of actually doing it.

I found myself listing all the reasons. The practical ones, the emotional ones, the logistical ones. Work schedules. Money. Responsibilities at home. The guilt of stepping away when there’s always something that needs attention. The feeling that I should wait until I have more time, more flexibility, more certainty, more savings, a better plan. And also how guilty I felt about all these justifications.

Basically, I was doing what so many of us do when we talk ourselves out of the things we really want.

She listened, nodded, commiserated, and then said something that stopped me in my tracks:

“Just take the damn trip.”

Five words. That was it.

And the more I sat with it, the more I realized… she was totally right.

The Reasons Are Real

Let’s be honest (I mean, always, but especially right now). I’m not writing this from a place of pretending that travel is always easy, accessible, or simple. It’s not.

Sometimes there are very real reasons a trip can’t happen right now. Financial limitations are real. Family responsibilities are real. Health concerns, work obligations, caretaking (kids, family members, pets all count), burnout, and life seasons that leave very little room to breathe are all real too. I know. I’m with you.

But I also know there’s another category of reasons—the less blatant ones. The ones that sound responsible on the surface, but are really fear, guilt, or perfectionism in disguise.

“I should wait until I have more money.”
“I’ll go when work calms down.”
“I need to be more productive before I earn a vacation.” “I’m worried about the political climate.”
“I can plan it later.”
“Maybe next year.”

Those are the ones I’ve been hearing from myself lately.

And if I’m honest, some of those reasons weren’t really about timing at all. They were about hesitation. About feeling like I needed permission to choose something joyful, restorative, and meaningful when there were a hundred other things competing for my time and energy.

Why We Keep Putting Travel Off

I think a lot of us are carrying around an idea that travel has to be earned.

That it only “counts” if all the boxes are checked first:

• the inbox is empty

• the house is organized

• the budget is perfect

• the timing is flawless

• the to-do list is under control

• everyone else’s needs are handled before our own

And if you’re anything like me, you can probably see the problem with that.

Obviously, life doesn’t really hand us a magical stretch of time where everything is settled and easy. There’s always another expense, another commitment, another reason to wait. Another season that feels “not ideal.”

If we keep waiting for the perfect moment to travel, we may be waiting forever.

What “Just Take the Damn Trip” Actually Means

To me, this phrase isn’t about being reckless. It’s not about ignoring your budget, abandoning your responsibilities, or booking a plane ticket with zero thought.

It’s about recognizing when you’ve moved past thoughtful planning and into chronic postponement.

It’s about asking yourself:

• Am I saying no because I truly can’t make this work right now?

• Or am I saying no because it feels uncomfortable to prioritize myself?

• Am I waiting because the timing is genuinely wrong?

• Or because I’m afraid to spend the money, take the time, go alone, or choose joy before I feel like I’ve “earned” it?

Sometimes “just take the damn trip” means booking the bigger adventure you’ve been dreaming about for years.

Sometimes it means taking the long weekend. Sometimes it means finally saying yes to the national park, the river cruise, the solo city break, the Christmas market itinerary, the wildlife trip, the girls’ getaway, or the beach week you keep talking yourself out of. Sometimes it just means deciding that your life doesn’t have to be on pause until all the practical pieces line up perfectly.

Right now, I’ve been putting off a big international trip because I have caretaking responsibilities of my own at home. But I’ve also found myself putting off little trips - small weekend road trips, overnight camping trips. Little ones that realistically wouldn’t be shirking my responsibilities in any way. And recognizing that I can still find a balance has been a relief, even if it’s not always comfortable.

Travel Is Not Frivolous

This is probably the part I needed to hear most.

Travel is often treated like an extra. A luxury. Something indulgent that should only happen after all the “important” things are taken care of.

But I don’t actually think that’s true. In fact, I know it’s not - I’ve written blog posts on the literal science of why travel is beneficial.

Travel can be joyful, yes. But it can also be grounding. Restorative. Expansive. It can reconnect us to ourselves, to our partners, to our families, to our sense of wonder. It can break up the autopilot of everyday life and remind us that there’s still a very big world outside our routines.

Sometimes a trip is not about escape. Sometimes it’s about remembering who you are when you’re not buried in obligations.

And sometimes that matters a lot.

So… Maybe This Is Your Sign

If you’ve been waiting for the “right” time to plan something, just think about those five words.

Not to be irresponsible. Not to ignore real limitations. But to be honest with yourself about the difference between a true obstacle and a story you keep telling yourself or justifications you’ve gotten comfortable with over time.

If there’s a trip on your heart—something you keep circling back to, something that lights you up every time you think about it—maybe it’s worth paying attention to that.

Maybe the dream doesn’t need another year of waiting.

Maybe the trip doesn’t need to be bigger, farther, fancier, or more “deserved.”

Maybe it just needs a yes.

And maybe, every once in a while, the best travel advice isn’t a packing list, a points strategy, or a perfect itinerary.

Maybe it’s just five simple words:

Just take the damn trip.

Thanks, Susan. You’re the best. 🖤

Yours in flight,

Tianna