The names of the people we meet, the streets we get lost in, and the hole-in-the-wall restaurant with the best escargot you’ve ever had - this is the sustenance of every good travel story.
As a young traveler, I tend to move from one place to the next without reflecting on each trip I take. After traveling for six weeks with an intimate group of travel writers, I had a million moments, memories, and materials to share.
However, aside from my thousands of photos and receipts kept from the best restaurants, there is no archive that details my most meaningful moments and how they made me feel. Social media captures these experiences at a surface level but doesn’t prompt us to delve deeper into what makes our travels so impactful.
My experience as an intern at Travel With Meaning opened my eyes to just how important this is. Through working with the founder, Mike Schibel, it became clear that travelers value opportunities to exchange stories, foster community, and mindfully engage in experiences that resonate on a personal level.
Mike recognized this desire after spending the last six years talking to hundreds of travelers, who he noticed that despite coming from different paths, all described similar ideas throughout their travel tales. He also noticed that there wasn’t an exercise in the travel education space that shifted the focus from travel logistics to the human experience.
For Travelers, Inspired By Travelers
After reflecting on these recurring themes and drawing upon his own travels, Mike identified six key principles of truly fulfilling travel and wove them into a self-paced, multimedia course, aptly titled How To Travel With Meaning.
In the workshop, Mike talks through the aspects of each principle in a video series supported by follow-up workbook questions that allow you to consider your own experiences. He shares that “(on his podcast), guests were organically sharing stories of their meaningful moments that had so many of the same foundational aspects”. In some episodes of the TWM podcast, you can hear Mike get excited in the middle of several interviews as guests share meaningful moments that are similar.
The magic of other travel stories never ceases to amaze me. I will learn to acknowledge and recognize the principles as I am living through them”. Adding that “(the course) summed up for me some things I already knew about travel but in a new way, a new perspective”. -Maria R
“(The course) also allows us to share our feelings & experiences with like-minded fellow travelers. It's awesome to have a space for this meaningful travel dialogue.” - Denna. B
Usually, conversations about travel revolve around the planning phase. Planning where to go, where to stay, or what to eat, can feel like an overbearing but sometimes necessary step.
We often get so caught up in planning every detail of a “perfect trip”, that we forget to carve in time for rest, reflection and spontaneity. For this reason, the principle that resonated with me the most was flow. By working through the module, I was inspired to consider how I might be able to create space for flow in my future travels without fear of missing out.
Showing Up as Better Explorers and Service Providers
The How To Travel With Meaning course provides a home to have a conversation with oneself and evaluate the overlooked aspects of how one can travel. It is not a ‘how to’ tutorial for travel, but an additional lens through which we can view aspects of travel with more meaning, helping you create that internal reminder to take it all in.
Meaningful Travel Coach and Project Specialist Claire Burt says:
“The uniqueness of offering a program that is shaped directly from real conversations with passionate travelers of all types makes it simultaneously compelling, relatable, and powerful. The course content itself draws upon principles that allow us as industry experts and travelers to delve into the mindset work so we can show up as better explorers and service providers. Additionally, setting aside intentional time to work through the course and its exercises is sure to bring up epiphanies and revelations that may help you elevate your brand and enrich your mission.”
When I embark on my future travels, I will carry the principles in my thoughts and steps and recognize the meaning in every moment. The student and traveler in me always want to learn and explore simultaneously, and this course prompted me to take what I’ve learned from my past travels and move forward intentionally on my future adventures.
We at Travel With Meaning want you to take this course and be inspired by others through a connective experience and, in hopes, grant you a new perspective. For a discount on the course use the code: HTTWM for 10% off the course. Wishing you meaningful and memorable journeys ahead!
About me: Francesca Vespe
A Fall 2022 TWM intern, Francesca is a student at Emerson College, a restless writer, creative, and glorified memory capturer. As a traveler with an old Ricoh Single TLS film camera passed down to me, travel writing easily became a hobby of mine. Born on the coast, I’ve always spent my days outdoors looking for my next adventure. Now with an appetite for international travel, my notebook and cameras are stuffed in a weatherproof carry-on, always ready for the next opportunity to explore.