Simplicity In Travel
By Linda Breen Pierce
Copyright © 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Excerpted from Simplicity Lessons: A 12-Step Guide to Living Simply by Linda Breen Pierce

See Less To Experience More

People travel for many reasons, including business, recreation, education, and to visit family and friends. Often, we approach travel with a deprivation mindset. We focus on not having enough time. Our response is to try to squeeze in as much as possible on our trips. In some instances, we assume that we will not return to a specific destination, creating a desire to see as much as we can in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Ironically, in our quest to see more, too often we experience less.

Our minds and bodies can assimilate only so much stimulation, so much excitement. If we overload our travel schedule, we disrupt the peace of mind required to be truly present when we visit new places and people. We become superficial voyeurs of another place or culture as the days of travel turn into a blur. When we return home, we remember the highlights but little else.

There is another way to travel, to engage your full self -- mind, heart, and body -- in the new environment. To travel well, you must move slowly and savor deeply.

When my husband and I visit foreign lands, we like to travel for a month at a time, preferably just in one country. If we don't have the time or money to travel for a month, we wait until we do. We enjoy concentrating on one culture, one foreign language, at a time. By doing so, we develop a sense of place for our destination, which starts feeling more and more like home to us as the weeks pass. In addition to visiting tourist sites, we spend a great deal of time living just as we would at home -- shopping for food, cooking, taking walks, reading books, writing, visiting with friends. We often rent apartments rather than stay in hotels for this purpose. We become temporary residents of another country.

While month-long, single-country sojourns are our preference, it may not be your style. Indeed, you may need to try different types of trips to determine what works best for you. But I would strongly suggest that you think twice about visiting six countries in three weeks -- or anything close to this schedule -- even if those countries are right next to each other. Such travel is like watching a movie with the sound turned off. You only get a hint of what's going on.

Foreign Travel As Personal Transformation

For many people, foreign travel can be transformational, changing how we think of our lives and our world. When we spend time in different cultures, everything is new and fascinating. We start living in the present, because the present is so intriguing. We feel revitalized. Because you let go of what is familiar and routine for you, your inner mind is inclined to take a fresh look at your life -- how you feel about what's going on and what direction you want to go next. As Joan Halifax explains in The Fruitful Darkness, "Whether we know it or not, we need to renew ourselves in territories that are fresh and wild. We need to come home through the body of alien lands." This may all take place without any conscious intention on your part. You may discover it only when you return home with renewed clarity about who you are and what is most important to you.

I have experienced this first-hand through trips lasting a month or more to a variety of destinations, including Senegal (West Africa), the Galapagos Islands, the South Pacific islands of Fiji, Tahiti, and the Samoas, New Zealand, Bali, Italy, Ireland, and England. Each of these trips brought unexpected gifts of insight and peace of mind. My sense is that these experiences create in me a deep knowing, not only about myself but also about how connected we are with all other peoples.

Americans are sometimes criticized for being too insular -- believing that we hold the most economic and political power, and therefore the rest of the world should take careful notes and follow in our footsteps. Rarely do we seek to learn from other cultures. This is not only arrogant, but incredibly short-sighted. It deprives us of the broader perspective of life that living in other countries can provide.

We have much to learn from other cultures. This was clearly evident to me when I conducted my simplicity study (a three-year study of 200+ people from 40 states and eight countries). Many North American participants, when asked what led them to simplify their lives, mentioned that living in a foreign country influenced them to want to live more simply. In general, they experienced cultures that place far less value on materialism and enjoy richer family relationships, more community interaction, rewarding simple pleasures, and greater overall satisfaction in life.

It is for this reason -- the power of travel for personal transformation -- that I recommend that people take two to four months off every few years to live in a very different place, preferably a foreign country. Of course, if the experience of foreign cultures doesn't appeal to you, there is no reason to do it. But if it does, it can be highly rewarding on levels you may never have dreamed.

Making It Happen

Such a trip may appear impossible to you, but it is not. If you plan this adventure a year or more in advance, it's quite feasible. The two most commonly voiced objections to this idea are getting time off work and having enough money. Let's consider each of these objections.

If you work for others, you will need to approach your employer with a proposal to take a short leave of absence. Perhaps you can combine some vacation time with an unpaid leave. If you cooperate with your boss to make sure his or her needs are met while you are gone, and if you are a valued employee, it is highly likely that your employer will approve of your leave, especially if you submit your proposal a year or more in advance.

If you work for yourself, you can take a break from work if you plan ahead. You can let your clients know you are taking a short sabbatical. You can arrange for others to handle certain tasks while you are away. Believe it or not, the world will continue to run without you for those few months. You may miss out on some income during your time away, but you are unlikely to lose your business.

This travel adventure does not need to be a financial burden. If you have limited funds, consider renting out your home and finding a job while living abroad, or volunteer for an organization that covers your living expenses. If you plan ahead, you can also save money each month toward your trip. You could accept a short-term caretaker position in another country. Such arrangements are more available than you might think (see the Recommended Resources at the end of this lesson).

If your budget is very low, consider traveling to an inexpensive, developing country. This option may also offer a deeper experience because the culture of a developing country provides the most contrast to your own. This is, in fact, a trend in international travel. One in five tourists travels from an industrial country to a developing one, up from one in 13 in the mid-1970's.

All this is possible if you plan ahead.

Ecotourism

For the first time, the number of international travelers exceeded 700 million in 2002, representing a 3.1 percent increase over travel in 2001, a surprising trend considering the September 11, 2001 terrorist acts. As travelers and tourists, we have a responsibility to understand the social and environmental impacts of our travel. This concern has led to the development of a relatively new field called ecotourism. The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as responsible travel that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people. Preserving the local culture of the host country is also considered to be an objective of ecotourism.

There are many travel agencies and companies that attempt to fulfill ecotourism ideals. Some certification programs exist to identify which travel providers meet ecotourism criteria. However, the certification programs are inconsistent, with varying standards for qualifications. Some programs require only that a business pay a fee to obtain its "green" label.

Fortunately, we don't need to rely on certification programs to travel responsibly. Much of it is common sense. To the extent that we stay in local accommodations, eat at local restaurants, and use local transport, we support local economies. Patronizing large, resource-intensive resorts owned by foreign investors is not an ideal way to contribute to the environmental health and well-being of the local people.

Since environmental preservation is essential to maintain tourism -- people won't visit if the natural beauty is lost -- it is in everyone's interests (locals and visitors alike) to maintain the environmental integrity of the host country. However, in some instances, local entrepreneurs develop travel programs that offer short term monetary gains but have long term environmental consequences.

Often it is up to the traveler to determine if a particular program or facility meets the standards of ecotourism. You can use the Internet to research these issues (see the Recommended Resources at the end of this lesson). In addition to information provided by destination web sites and umbrella travel organizations, you can contact a travel provider directly by email with specific questions.

One way to contribute to the well-being of local people is to participate in community-based travel programs, in which travelers work together with the locals on sustainable projects designed to improve the economic health or quality of life of the local population. There is a vast array of opportunities of this nature, ranging from extensive volunteer work to less involved exchanges with locals as part of a broader travel program (see the Recommended Resources at the end of this lesson).

About The Author

Intrigued by the allure of living a simpler life but not sure where to start? Perhaps you’ve started to make changes but your progress is slower and more challenging than anticipated. Linda Breen Pierce will answer your questions and discuss issues related to living simply in a complex world.

Linda Breen Pierce is the author of Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace & Fulfillment In A Complex World (Gallagher Press, 2000)and Simplicity Lessons: A 12-Step Guide To Living Simply (Gallagher Press, 2003). She is also the founder of The Pierce Simplicity Study, a three-year study of 200+ people who live simply. If you would like to submit a question to Linda, send her an e-mail.

E-Mail: pierce@gallagherpress.com
Web Site: The Simplicity Resource Guide