The Reluctant Traveller

Old Indian wisdom (Ayurveda) tells us that one’s constitution is made up by the combination of three different doshas (bodily humours) – vata, pita, and kapha. With the temper of a typical kapha (and pitta, but we can forget that for the time being), I’m supposed to be slow, patient, loving and stable. When kaphas are having a bad day (or facing an imbalance), they are stubborn, lazy and… reluctant! In other words, they need a lot of sticks and carrots to keep going. Does this sound familiar? In the world of travel that means that some of us have a tendency towards comfort, all things familiar and buckets of coffee. And perhaps also packing. Now, I firmly believe that it is up to each and every one of us to try to develop our weaker sides and there are lots of things kaphas can do to find a balance (quit the coffee for one).

However, one of the best things that ever happened to my lazy and reluctant persona is in no way related to any self-development efforts – that best thing is my not-so-reluctant (travel) companion Jesper. We just kind of bumped into each other. Never have I met anyone who enjoys making plans so much. And not only does he make plans, he follows through. Win-win for both of us. All I need to do is agree to the plans and enjoy the trip. Yes, I’m spoiled – that’s the Biveros Effect.

Don’t you have a Jesper in your life? Fear not! I have some tips for all reluctant travelers out there (and all the people who want to go but never actually make it).

• Travel with someone. Traveling alone can be a great experience, but sometimes it’s more fun to go away with a friend or a family member. They will probably motivate you to be more active as well. Just one small piece of advice – don’t pick anyone hyperactive if you are slow and lazy. It’s not a good combination and there’s a risk you might not enjoy traveling together at all.
• Focus on activities that you enjoy. Lying on the beach? Eating? Yes, those count as activities. However, if you want to make your trip more memorable and worthwhile, grab the chance and do something you have always wanted to do or pick an activity that really makes you happy, no matter where you are.
• Bribe yourself. Motivation is key in most aspects of life, including traveling. Motivate yourself to save the money, to make the plans and to go. Once you have achieved your goal (or some of the steps on the way), reward yourself. Remember those carrots!
• Stay focused. Planning a trip is a fun activity, but it will never be as rewarding as the trip itself. In case you want to travel a lot or go on longer holidays, you need to have a list of your priorities. What are you ready to give up in order to go on that trip? How will you save the money? What is it that you want to do? And so on and so forth.

Personally, I’m looking forward to some really nice trips in 2016 – some of the destinations have already been approved by yours truly.

Happy travels in 2016!

Are you interested in reading more about Ayurveda? Then you might want to check out this site, which has a lot of useful information about Ayurveda and the doshas.