New trend? Slow traveling!

Slow traveling: Less is more

Slow food, mindfulness, digital detox. Less travels but more intens. More sustainable for yourself and the world. Allow yourself to take time and fill upp with new experiences and meeting people. Slow down sometimes. Every travel may be the purpose again. It will be the new trend again. Less is more.

We travel easy as far as possible... it is easy to book and easy to go where ever you want to go. Nowadays we have been nearly every where... But it is also like the Japanese people used to do Europe, in 3 days... but what have they really seen? Did they really take a look?
Did they feel the weather in the country, taste the food and participate in the way of living?

No, I think it is even worse. It is not only traveling in a hurry. I meet a lot a people working very hard, hurrying trough their lives. Check their (much to long) bucket list. To less time for everything. When they have free off, they celebrate holiday in a hurry. Getting somewhere as soon as possible. No time for enjoying traveling att all. Because they haven't enough time or they are not used to slow down any more. They get bored soon or they are just afraid to meet their selves. The experience can be the goal. It's more easy to reach, always and everyday, when you allow yourself and it is worth a lot. No need to wait for the holiday time.

Easy to say for me, we slowed down some years ago. We had a very serious wake up call. My partner got a severe chronicle illness. And no, even in this modern world there are no options to make it better. We just have to live with it. No jealous faces when your are suffering. So we moved to Sweden, to have good times and enjoy live together now. And of course, you need to have possibilities to do like that... no children growing up and some spare money... but you need to make though decisions too... Because you can do with less, every one can do it... No need to have everything. To have quality time together now is worth a lot. Because may be there is no later....
Now we see even more clearly what is happening around us. And we meet a lot of jealous faces... But there is no need to be jealous, every one can make his own choice and take the consequences, or what?

Because of a severe illness it is not possible to sit for a lang time, driving in a car (even half an hour) is very painful. So we travel by train as much as possible within Sweden. It is very well organised. You will always have a seat, except when it is sold out (In The Netherlands you can always pay for the train but you never know, it can be fully packed so you have to stand some times....). While traveling you can walk around a little, read a book or just look outside of the window. Wondering what houses you see, have a look a the way other people treat their property. Take a look of everything and everyone you meet. Be more mindful. Try to see the charm of small things. Or just try to find some moose beside of the railway road. It makes me feel very happy, always.

Next years it will be more and more important to travel sustainable. Travel less but more intens. Just go for a walk, take your bicycle or take the train. There are also a lot of destinations close around you or nearby you didn't even see anymore, because you were hurried so much. But you can try it again, with some patience and new eyes...it will be better for you and a better world. Both more sustainable for the future.

Why not? Traveling in an old clipper and meet nature!