1. Use the local language even if you don’t feel confident at it. There are a bunch of free translation apps (including the free and offline Google Translate, which will translate not only text but also speech and photos) to help you nail that street vendor who tries to sell you a fake Armani T-shirt for ten times more than the, um, official price…

2. Pack light. Nothing will improve your travel experience more than getting rid of that human-size suitcase that weighs more than you and insists on being pulled over bumpy sidewalks and dragged up endless staircases. Living this sort of minimalist existence is not everybody’s cup of tea, but you can at least give it a try.

3. Wake up early (because most tourists don’t). This is a major game-changer. When you find yourself in a huge tourist city overflowing with cruise day-trippers (and, let’s be honest, just other normal visitors like you), you have two options. One, you take your time, have breakfast and coffee and when you get out of your hotel, you are swept away in an unknown direction by the crowds. Or two, you wake up early and tour the streets, taking photos of the main attractions with no people in front of them (i.e., you can actually see the attractions). Then, when the night owls wake up and stream down the streets, you can comfortably go back to bed and catch up on sleep.

4. Stop planning your next trip while you are still on your current one. Instead, practice some mindfulness – that means savoring and being present in the here and now instead of always dwelling in the past or in the future.

5. Add meaning to your trip by helping somebody. There are a few things that every study into happiness seems to reiterate, one of them being that helping others adds meaning to your life and actually makes you happier. There are endless volunteer opportunities wherever you travel, but even if you don’t have time for volunteering, you can do a good deed – work on an organic farm, stay at a family-owned guest house or join another local initiative that represents something close to your heart.

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Joseph De La Cruz and Simon Vandekerckhove met on the road in South America and their paths intertwined in such an intriguing way, that they can now present their perspective of the inward and outward scope of their experiences in their book, “Paths to Pachamama”.

The indigenous people of the Andes revere Pachamama, or ‘Earth Mother’, as the goddess who carries the power to create and sustain life on the planet. Written independently, these are two stories of self-discovery proving no matter our unique journeys, we all travel the same spiritual path. A tale suitable for any traveler on the adventure known as life, in “Paths to Pachamama” you’ll understand there’s more to this world if you’re willing to look hard enough.

We contacted Simon and Joey to ask them more about their story, plans, and dreams.

– Who are Simon and Joey and what are their dreams?

– Joey grew up in Boulder, Colorado, a graduate of a K-12 bilingual Spanish education program and the University of Colorado, Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Italian. After the passing of his mother, he was forced on the road to discover the meaning of life and death. Through his travels he has opened himself up to the universal consciousness that drives our existence, and ever since he has sought to continue his personal evolution by learning to tap into this vast source of powerful energy and endless wisdom available to us all.

Simon from Bruges, Belgium, is a historian and avid traveler who spent a few years abroad studying in Spain, teaching in Thailand, working around Australia and backpacking through South America. Throughout his journeys, the symbolism and coincidences he’s experienced have also widened his perspective to the spiritual dimensions of reality.

For both of us, travel has been a way to get to know ourselves beyond the surface illusion of our physical world, and we both dream that by combining our stories and insights, we can make more people aware of the powerful spiritual force that resides within us all and discover together how we can use it to our advantage.

– How did two independent journeys through South America intertwine and make you a team?

– Fate. We met at a very energetically charged location, Iguazu Falls, and after a short bus ride and a few conversations we got a glimpse of what we could learn from each other. Each independent journey would have been incomplete had it not been for the experiences and input we shared from a distinct, yet complementary perspective of the other. In short, we needed each other to further concepts and ideas we were both discovering on our own after we both had encountered meaningful experiences during our travels. After our meeting we realized that by combining our stories and insights, we were able to gather a much greater understanding of the enigma that is life, which we would not have attained individually.

– How has the concept of Pachamama changed the way you see the world?

– Looking at the world through the lens of Pachamama has removed our sense of physical boundary to some extent and lifted barriers which have blinded us to a greater truth, that everything in this universe is conscious vibrating energy and that we, as energetic beings, have the ability to direct this field of endless opportunity. Pachamama has taught us that we can steer our life experience with our directed conscious intent and take greater control over our lives. Thanks to Pachamama, we have also become much more aware of the signs that are put in front of us to guide us along our journey through life. She has become the fundamental filter through which we see the world.

– What’s the connection between traveling and spirituality?

– There is a fundamental connection between traveling and spirituality. While traveling we are presented with the rare opportunity to be ourselves. Our authentic disposition, our real personalities hidden underneath the costume of everyday life, are given the chance to come out. We are no longer a doctor, a policeman, or a teacher. Our identity becomes fluid, and we simply become a traveler. Without the weight of these labels holding us back, we get the chance to see ourselves in a new light. For a brief moment, we are no longer defined by what we do. What matters most is who we are and who we have always been. In this more elemental state of being, we can look beyond the countless separations and boundaries we usually impose on one another. We can understand that people everywhere are not all that different from one another and that deep down we all share the same hopes and desires. And isn’t that what spirituality is all about?

– Your book is called “Paths to Pachamama”. So there’s more than one path?

– Yes, each and every one of us travels our own personal path towards the highest evolution of our spirit. We all have different lessons and challenges we must face in this life and different ways by which we must overcome them. There is no one path, there is only your path. We must each honor our individual journeys, while at the same time we need to respect the path and personal choices of another.

– Was there one powerful experience during your journey that was a turning point and made you reconsider your lives?

Joey: That moment came to me in the first month of my year long journey. I was sitting utterly alone on a beach in Colombia with nothing but the open road ahead of me. From this place I could see for the first time that I had the choice to bring my past with me on the road, or drop everything I knew and leave it in the sand behind me. I could see that I had an opportunity to completely rewrite my identity, to live free from the layers and constraints of a predetermined identity imposed upon me by friends, family and society back home telling me who and what I should be. Sitting on that beach in solitude, I gifted myself the opportunity to redefine who I was, what I was capable of and who I wanted to become. It was there I began to reconsider every aspect of my life, and it’s never been the same since.

Simon: For me that moment happened in Cadiz. I was out with a friend during carnival, and a tragic accident took the life of my friend that night. I won’t say anything more, other than the fact that the events that took place on that night changed everything for me and have become the bedrock of my spiritual belief. It is all described in the first chapter of the book.

– Your journey to South America has inspired you to be the change you want to see in the world. What are some specific changes everyone can make to make the world a better and more balanced place?

– Redefine your identity. Realize that you are not merely a physical body, but an eternal spark of conscious light vibrating in a void of potential energy over which you have a high degree of creative control. In order to come to this understanding, first you must recognize that an intelligent universal consciousness exists. That is the first step. The second step is recognizing and feeling that we are in constant communication with this universal consciousness, through a personal spiritual connection within an infinite field of opportunity. The final step is to engage in mutual conversation with this energetic source, and send it our desires and intentions with focus and determination so we can allow them to be received, processed, and sent back to us.

An important tool to use in this creative process is your breath. Take the time to focus on it every now and then and learn to control it. By taking control of your breath, you take control of your life.

– What’s the one thing you never travel without?

Joey: My backpack. When traveling my backpack becomes my home. I bring only what’s essential and leave the rest behind and embrace the freedom it provides me as I explore the intriguing paths of life.

Simon: Honestly, every time I travel I tend to take less with me than the last time, as each trip I realize that I really don’t need all that much. So my question is: is there anything that you really cannot travel without, other than your eyes, limbs and sense of wonder?

– What is your next big challenge?

– Writing a book is challenging, but it’s a much greater challenge to have people read it, and an even greater one to get people to the point where they will actually change some of their ways as a result of it. We believe firmly in the ideas presented in the book and are convinced that it can help many people move their lives forward with greater purpose and understanding. Therefore, the next big challenge is to achieve a certain degree of practical implementation of the spiritual constitution and other ideas presented in the book with regard to how we deal with relationships, commerce, money, media, or politics. This will not be easy, but we are hopeful. Thanks to the digital revolution and the technological advancements it is bringing, such as online currencies and green energy, the way we interact with each other and our environment will fundamentally change, and this development will inevitably accelerate the evolution of our spirit.

– Share something inspiring with everyone reading this!

– You are a traveler of many worlds, but ultimately it’s the spiritual journey within that matters the most and will take you the furthest.

***

Paths to Pachamama is available on Amazon:

All images: courtesy of Joseph De La Cruz and Simon Vandekerckhove/Paths to Pachamama

>>> Discover more travel books and interviews with travel writers.

The post Paths to Pachamama: a traveler’s guide to spirituality appeared first on 203Challenges.

The worst thing about making New Year’s resolutions is that we forget about them by mid-January. So it’s best to print the list and hang it on the wall where you can see it every day (look for the printable version at the end of this post). Another option is to set up your calendar app so that it sends you a link to this article every month as a reminder.

Here’s the list:

1. Accept adventurous invitations more often.

2. Make more friends on the road. 

3. Try more new food.

4. Sail more.

5. Fly more. 

6. Be more curious. 

7. Get lost more often. 

8. Bring home memories and recipes instead of souvenirs. 

9. Try something for the first time more often – at least once a month.

10. Introduce at least one more person to the joy of traveling. 

11. Travel to more places where people know what happiness is. 

12. Become more immune to bad weather; don’t let it stop you from traveling.

13. Read more travel books. 

14. Get more organized and plan that grand adventure you’ve been postponing for years.

15. Spend less on clothes and gadgets and more on travel. 

16. Communicate more often with your new travel friends (send postcards or just random photos from your everyday life). Start right now. 

17. Take better care of yourself (because you need to travel in good shape).

18. Drink more water on planes. 

19. Spend more time off the tourist trail to discover the unknown.

20. Spend more time observing the world around you instead of rushing to your next destination.

21. Start enjoying the changes in your plan.

22. Spend more time in nature. 

23. Tweak classical holidays and celebrate them according to your own interpretation (check out our unusual Christmas travel ideas here).

24. Stop relying on other people’s opinion about places. 

25. Stop paying for tacky tours and use local transportation more. 

26. Fulfill (or take steps to fulfill) your biggest travel dream.

27. Pack lighter. 

28. Learn more words from the languages of the countries you visit.

29. Say “YES” more often.

How many of our travel challenges have you completed so far?

Pin or print this list to remind yourself of the good stuff you’ve promised yourself to do:

The post The traveler’s New Year resolutions (printable) appeared first on 203Challenges.

Here are some alternatives to the classic overpriced tourist souvenirs that could work as warm vacation reminders for you and your friends.

A recipe for a local delicacy

You can’t bring that amazing pasta you tried in a restaurant in Florence home with you. But you could introduce yourself to the cook and ask for the recipe, then cook it yourself at home (or invite friends over and share the treat with them). Not every cook is willing to share their recipes, but it’s worth trying (and smiling while you ask really helps).

Cooking courses are another good idea, although personally I prefer getting invited to a local’s home for dinner and then helping to prepare the food. I explain how much I’d like to see [insert amazing food here] being cooked and learn how to make it myself – people are usually flattered that you like their country’s cuisine and will happily teach you.

My way: On my last trip, I saw the mother of the owner of the hostel I stayed at preparing a meal, and although we had no common language (she was Chinese), a few genuine smiles and curious looks over her shoulder got me an invitation to the kitchen. Before I knew it, I was helping her cook a delicious meal!

Don’t worry if you fail with all these ideas: you always have the option of finding a recipe online.

Bring a recipe | Roman Kraft/Unsplash

A song

I love listening to local hits when I’m abroad, and I’ve discovered that music can make for an unexpected and rewarding souvenir to take back home.

Knowing your friends like the back of your hand will help you discover new artists to introduce them to after your trip. Once you return home, add your contribution to the playlist for their next trip. Find a whole album by one artist, or make a compilation of songs by local artists.

Bring a song | Mitchel Lensink/Unsplash

A postcard (including one to yourself)

I love receiving photos from my friends’ trips in my email inbox, but there’s nothing quite like real paper postcards in my real mailbox. More often than not the postcards arrive after they’ve returned from their trip, but who cares! It’s the thought that counts.

My way: I have a tradition to always send a card to myself to remind me of an interesting thought that crossed my mind during the trip. It’s funny how I never remember what I wanted to share with myself and I’m excited to read it once the postcard has arrived.

Send a postcard (to yourself) |
©www.203challenges.com

Any random item you discover, especially if there’s a story behind it

Seashells (be careful, there are many areas where you’re not allowed to take them from the beach), pressed leaves (they make for fabulous wall art or cards), oddly-shaped rocks – all of these can be good gifts for friends who don’t need much to be happy. Add a small printed card with the story behind the object and maybe a loving message to let your friend know you’re thinking of them.

My way: I have a pinecone garland at home that contains more stories, sunrises, forest trails and happy moments than anything else in my home. Every time I go on a trip where pinecones can be found, I bring one home and attach it to the ever-growing garland.

Collect random objects, like pinecones or seashells | Annie Spratt/Unsplash

Tea, coffee, chocolates, wine – yes, but from a local market

I have a rule – if a box of coffee or chocolates has a photo of the place and an inscription in English, don’t buy it. A wiser alternative is to shop for food and drinks only from local supermarkets or open-air markets, where prices are reasonable and you can uncover some fascinating local products.

My way: I like challenging my friends and family, especially the more conservative among them. From my last trip to Thailand and b, I brought home packages of dried silkworms and crickets – a local delicacy. To be honest, I had underestimated my friendship circle, because almost everybody dared to taste them and actually liked them, although some chewed with their eyes closed and were ready to spit.

Bring exotic food bought from local markets | ©Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

Photos

Long ago, people used to print every single photo they took. Now vacation photos get buried in a pile of everyday digital shots and we miss out on the opportunity to reminisce on our happy travel moments. Personally I have found that the photos I love looking at most are the weird and silly ones rather than the posed ones.

My way: I print one photo per trip (sometimes from my Instagram account) and pin it to a photo ‘clothes-line’.

Print photos | Iwan/Unsplash

Bonus idea: seeds

Although I haven’t really succeeded in planting many foreign flowers and vegetables from my travels, I always pay a visit at the local store or market where I get a handful of packs with seeds for anything I think I might like growing. My best achievement so far are Thai beans and unknown Brazilian flowers.

Pin it for later:

The post Stop buying souvenirs: 6 better alternatives to bring home instead appeared first on 203Challenges.

There’s a lot of talk about the ubiquitous comfort zone and everyone’s efforts to escape from it, as if it’s Hell on Earth. But what does it really mean, and how can you turn that vague goal into specific actions?

First of all, getting out of your comfort zone has two distinct characteristics:

1. If you don’t want to do it, it is definitely out of your comfort zone and you should do it.
2. Often, the things that get you out of your comfort zone aren’t blissful and pleasurable at all while you are doing them. Some of them really suck. When time passes and your brain ‘polishes’ the memories, some of them may start to look like adventures, while others will always remain cringe-infusing images in your mind. In both cases, you will have cool stories to tell around the fire.

So, why is it so hard to get out of your comfort zone?

Making yourself do something that you don’t want to do is always hard. But it’s not impossible. You can make it a bit easier when you remind yourself that pushing your boundaries will ultimately bring you great happiness. According to an article in Psychology Today, happiness is maximized when you confront a crisis with grace.

Additionally, studies prove that it’s easier to step beyond your normal self when you have your more adventurous friends around. Their readiness to take risks can be contagious.

5 simple ways to get out of your comfort zone while you are traveling:

1. Eat something you wouldn’t normally eat. Don’t just stick to things that look delicious; at least once per trip, you should eat something that provokes thoughts in your head like “oh my, I would never ever put this into my mouth”. You may not like it, but you should at least try it.
2. Go somewhere you wouldn’t normally go. You hate museums? Visit at least one and make a genuine effort to find something enjoyable about the experience. Galleries? Make them interesting by getting this free app, which will tell you the story of every painting and naked ancient Greek sculpture. Don’t like baking on the beach? Go with a friend and ask them to help you make it fun (by trying water sports, boating, SUP…).
3. Haggle. Haggling at exotic markets can always go in a totally unexpected direction. No matter what happens, the experience will keep you alert and thinking of ways to win the battle of wills.
4. Swap your playlist for local music. You can listen to the latest Taylor Swift hit whenever you wish, but when you are abroad, mute Look what you made me do and try a local radio station to get a sense of what people listen to where you are. Ask around to find a local band/artist to add to your favorites. If you start every day of your trip with the same song, you will actually create longer-lasting memories.
5. Meet locals. If you are not particularly sociable, try to talk more with the receptionist at your hotel or ask a few personal questions to your tourist guide (like do they have a family? In what part of the city do they live? Is it a considered a good or a bad area? What do they do in their free time?). The deeper you delve into the lives of others, the greater the possibility that you’ll receive an unexpected offer that will take you somewhere unknown – and that’s an adventure in itself!

Pin it or save it for later, because you never know when you will want to break out of your comfort zone:

The post How to travel out of your comfort zone (and what it really means) appeared first on 203Challenges.

In fact you’re right: one life won’t be enough. Take this as the biggest challenge of all that you’ll encounter on the road. It’s important to challenge others and accept their challenges, but it’s just as important to understand that if you don’t succeed in something, it’s not the end of the world. Maybe you set one too many goals. Maybe you started too many things and left them unfinished. Or maybe you are investing all your energy into thousands of ideas instead of focusing on a few of the most important ones.

Saying no comfortably and without guilt requires you to really think about what you stand for. Why are you saying no? When you say no to unwanted obligations in your life or to a long bucket list, ask yourself what you’re making room for? Once you can identify and embrace your priorities and focus on what you want more of, you’ll feel more justified saying no in order to pursue those goals. It could be time with your family, a new exciting project or a cause you believe strongly in.

Remember, all this takes time. Be patient and mindful.

And while we’re at it, we’ll share another secret to checking off more dream destinations (or life goals for that matter) from your list: give a few of them up. When you stop pushing yourself beyond your boundaries, you’ll no longer live under the constant pressure of failed attempts and you’ll have more energy to concentrate on the essentials. Take your time when you visit a new place. Wander around, meet the locals, acknowledge the little things. Try not to plan too far ahead and focus on yourself, because travel happens as much in your mind as outside of it.

Have you given up anything in order to travel more mindfully? Share your story and a couple of photos at office@203challenges.com and become an inspiration to others. 

The post The greatest challenge on the road: give up something appeared first on 203Challenges.

As traveling itself is one of the best ways to learn and become a better version of yourself, a Buddhist mentality can only add to the experience.

Here are 10 Buddhist beliefs that you can use while you’re traveling to feel calmer in the face of difficulties, immerse yourself in your journey and simply feel happier on the road.

1. Live fully in the now

It’s no surprise there’s so much fuss about mindfulness and meditation nowadays. In this high-tech age, our minds are constantly bombarded with flashes of information, social media updates and seemingly endless cat videos, making it almost impossible to stay anchored to the present moment. Buddhists believe that neither reminiscing about the past nor dreaming of the future will make you happy; the right way is to fully savor the present.

On the road: While traveling, take time to stop and try to remember smells, notice shapes and colors, and – perhaps most importantly – don’t scroll through your phone while eating. It’s a reminder to taste every bite of food and immerse yourself full in every moment while you’re traveling. By the way, this is something you could incorporate in your everyday life too.

2. Learn to let go

“You only lose what you cling to,” said the Buddha. If you don’t try to possess a thing, you cannot lose it and it makes it forever yours. To let go is an art that will improve your whole life, whether it be with relationships, friends, possessions or jobs.

On the road: Embrace minimalism and learn to pack only the basics (here’s how to do it). We don’t encourage you to voluntarily let go of your wallet, but if it happens to get stolen, it’s no use making a drama out of it – that won’t help you. Just move on and accept your new conditions.

3. Empty your mind of expectations

There’s a famous Zen story that explains this best:

A university professor once visited a Zen teacher in search of more information about Buddhism. The teacher offered him a cup of tea, which the professor willingly accepted. Then the teacher started pouring tea in the cup, continuing to pour even after the tea started overflowing. “Why don’t you stop when the tea is overflowing?” the professor asked, worried. The teacher answered: “Your mind is just like this cup – overflowing with your expectations and opinions. I can’t give you any new information until you don’t come with an empty cup.”

On the road: Don’t believe what others say about the Russians, the Chinese or the South Africans, for example. Go and see these places for yourself and make up your own mind. The moment you cross a border, forget all your preconceived notions about the country and enter with an empty cup.

4. Don’t label things as “good” or “bad”

One of the basic pillars of Buddhism is non-judgement. You usually tend to qualify events as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but can you remember a moment when something that seemed like the end of the world turned out to be a great piece of luck? If you maintain a non-judgemental attitude, a potential disaster can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

On the road: Every time you miss a flight or encounter some other traveler’s ‘misfortune’, just remind yourself that it might turn out to the best part of your trip. Encountering troubles on the road (and finding creative solutions to them) can often lead you to meet great people or regain faith in humanity.

5. Feel and express gratitude

There are hundred of books discussing all the advantages of gratefulness, and we’re going to add to that list by reminding you to take a moment to be grateful for what you have when you’re feeling low.

On the road: The very fact you can afford to travel is reason enough to feel thankful, because millions of people around the world can’t even dream of that luxury for various reasons (poverty, war, political restrictions etc.). Take a minute before going to sleep to feel gratitude for all the amazing things that happened to you during the day.

6. All that we are is the result of what we have thought

How is it possible that John hates Thailand, yet Jack considers it the best place in the world? Did they go to the same country? Of course they did, but John and Jack are different people absorbing different information according to their inner image of the world, and that affects their perceptions.

On the road: If you don’t like a place the first time you visit it, consider what conditions might have created that negative attitude – maybe it was raining or your travel companion was grumpy. Challenge yourself to visit the place again and see if your impression is more positive the second time around.

7. When you share your happiness, it doesn’t decrease

If your happiness is a candle and you share the light with others, your light doesn’t decrease.

On the road: Share happy moments on the road with the local people you meet along the way, as well as friends and family back home. Take the time to send news back home – your loved ones will be happy to know you’re safe and having fun.

8. Everything constantly changes

Impermanence is a core Buddhist concept, one that will help you feel at peace even during the most tense moments on the road. According to the belief, everything comes into being and dissolves – good and bad things alike.

On the road: Once you accept that nothing is eternal, it will be easier to appreciate what you have and to realize that all bad things pass eventually.

9. Get to know yourself

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.”

On the road: Even though traveling might seem like little more than a leisure activity, it actually changes you in a subtle way, no matter how you travel. Regardless of whether you go on short trips or year-long journeys, you will come back a changed – and in many ways better-rounded – person. We get to know ourselves when we face situations that take us out of our comfort zone.

10. It is better to travel well than to arrive

What matters the most is not the final destination but the journey itself. We’re sure you’ve heard this thousands of times before, and you’ll hear it many more times throughout your travels because it’s true.

On the road: Enjoy every step of the journey. Don’t spend all your time on board a bus or a plane just waiting to arrive. Instead, use the time to talk to people, read with ravenous anticipation about your destination or listen to some local music from the place you’re visiting (which you have downloaded in advance because you already know this music habit will change your trips).

Pin it for later:

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We’ve selected 8 creative and inspiring travel challenges that will turn your trips into personal adventures. Our source of inspiration is a book – “203 Travel Challenges. Travel the world. Explore Your Inner Self”.

Traveling is something personal, so take the ingredients of the following challenges, stir them, move them and change them to create your own challenges to spice up your trips.

1. Jump into a warm, open-air mineral pool while it’s snowing

There are plenty of warm, mineral pools in the open air around the world. However pleasant they may be in the summer, there is nothing like getting into one in the winter, when snowflakes are falling from the sky and you are soaking in warm, mineral water, not caring about tiny details like weather forecasts or an air temperature more suited to polar bears…

How to do it: Don’t forget to take a towel to dry yourself off as quickly as possible as you climb out of the pool. Also take your favorite warm drink in a thermos for pure bliss (coffee, cappuccino, tea and rum, etc.).

2. Night Challenge

There are many attractions which stay open even when it’s dark outside. There are also events created to make your night more interesting. It’s a different world when you trade the light of the sun for the light of the moon and the stars.

A couple of ideas for night events: European Night of Museums (every year on a Saturday, around 18th May – the International Day of Museums), European Literature Night (in May – celebrities read excerpts from European works of art), European Theatre Night (in November). European Researchers’ Night – research centers and museums open doors to show their achievements (every year in late September). Open-air cinema to enjoy a movie under the stars.

A couple of ideas for attractions open during the night: Every summer from May until October the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, is open until midnight on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (reservation necessary). In New York the Brooklyn Museum has free admission until 11 p.m. the first Saturday of each month (except September); the Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Center offers 70th floor views of Manhattan until midnight (last elevator up is at 11 p.m.), and the Empire State Building’s observation deck is open until 2 a.m. In Bangkok, Thailand, every district has its own night market where you can find all kinds of food, goods and fun activities, at the same time immersing yourself the best way possible into local life. Try the biggest market, Rot Fai, or the bohemian JJ Green Night Market.

For seasoned travelers: Take a night walk through the mountains. Under the only light of the moon or a headlamp – with an experienced guide or along trails you know like the back of your hand. Night walks are an experience that is hard to forget.

3. Go out of range for 24 hours

Go out of range, see the sunrise, read a book, talk to people. 

You are constantly online. You follow the events on the social networks and sometimes it’s as if the real world has disappeared. We challenge you to go for at least 24 hours to a place where electronic devices are out of range. We challenge you to feel that you are here and you are here now, instead of drifting through virtual space.

For seasoned travelers: Deliberately turn off all your devices for a day. Get out of range for a week.

4. See a shooting star and make a wish come true

Seeing a shooting star to make a wish may seem to you like pure chance. The truth is, you can help chance come your way by being in the right place at the right time. Every year, around 12 August, the sky night fills with hundreds of shooting stars (or meteorites to be exact). The reason is the annual meteor stream called Perseids.

Fun fact… The meteors are called Perseids because when we look at the sky it seems like they come from the constellation Perseus. In fact, the shooting stars we see in the sky are part of the comet Swift-Tuttle.

How to do it: The Perseids peak around 12 August (look up the date for the year) when hundreds of meteorites can be seen every hour.

A couple more ideas: There are other meteor streams throughout the year (Geminids in mid-December, Lyrids in mid-April, Quadrantids in late December – early January) when you can see a shooting star.

5. Bathe in a waterfall

Enjoy a free shower from nature. If you try to find pictures of the waterfalls listed below, without a shadow of a doubt you will want to shower there next time.

A couple of ideas:

Skogafoss (Iceland), Havasu (Grand Canyon, USA + more ideas for waterfalls you can bathe in the USA), Ouzoud (Morocco), Skradinski buk (Croatia), Kempty (India). Or just visit the nearest waterfall to you.

6. Celebrate the International Picnic Day

On International Picnic Day (every year on 18 June), enjoy one of the best ways to be close to nature. The importance of picnics dates back to the Victorian Age when young men and women could spend time together in the open. Back in the day, they would bring fancy meals, sandwiches, sweets and crackers. Nowadays picnics require far less effort, but they can be a good reason finally to go somewhere you’ve been meaning to, but haven’t had the chance.

How to make it more interesting: You can give the picnic a theme – everyone to wear red, to bring only Italian cuisine, tea and board games, a candlelit picnic, etc. To make it more fun, you can throw in a kite, slackline, hacky sack, badminton or a frisbee.

Fun fact… According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest picnic in the world was organized in Lisbon, Portugal, on 20 June 2009 with more than 20 000 participants.

7. See a shipwreck – without going underwater

It’s human nature – we are drawn to tragedy and decay. We roam around abandoned villages, enter buildings carrying legends of ghosts and dive to reach sunken ships. If diving is not your passion, we challenge you to visit one of the most famous shipwrecks in the world… without having to dive.

A couple of ideas:

Zakynthos, Greece – At Navagio Beach, you will see the remains of a vessel washed ashore. You can take a peek from the high rocks or reach it by boat.

Muynak, Uzbekistan – Outside the town of Muynak (or Moynaq) in Uzbekistan, in the direction of the Aral Sea, you will witness a sinister view along the road – the skeletons of ships and fishing boats abandoned long ago in the desert. Up until about 30 years ago Muynak was a sea harbor, but today it is in the middle of the desert, 50 km (30 miles) from the coast, after the rivers were diverted for irrigation purposes, and so the road leading to the Aral Sea turned into a ship graveyard.

Sydney, Australia – Homebush Bay in Sydney has become the final resting place of no longer operating ships. Some of them were swallowed by mangroves, growing over the rusty decks.

8. You want a raise? Take a holiday!

It is a proven fact that employees who use more of their vacation days achieve better results at work and have a higher chance of being promoted. Many people don’t use all of their vacation days as they fear that their long absence might show their bosses that the work can be managed without them. A study, however, shows that employees, who take all of their vacation days, show better results at work. Statistics in the USA and Canada reveal that for every 10 days off from work, the employee’s results improve by an average of 8%.

*

If you have used boat that you want to sell, you can use platforms like Grays.

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This is a challenge for the most addicted globetrotters out there. I can rarely resist the urge to book my next flight, so I know how hard it can be to settle down. But there are certain moments in life when you need to stay in one place and focus on yourself.

The time you’ll take off from traveling will let you concentrate on where you want to be in your life. Strive for greatness, build a career or take your relationship to the next level. You might be finally ready to buy a car or invest in a house, but you won’t be able to pull that off if you spend a week abroad every month.

Even though I’m passionate about traveling, I’ve realized that it’s not the secret ingredient to happiness, despite what your friends’ pictures on social media may have you believe. You might be surprised to hear that from a travel writer, so let me explain.

There always comes a moment when you feel emotionally empty

You’ve been traveling for months, you’ve seen many wonders of the world and you’ve visited your top 10 dream destinations. You’ve been to festivals, concerts, events; you’ve met incredible people along the way. Then one day you end up staying in. You feel emotionally empty.

You don’t want to do a single thing, and yet spending the day at home feels like such a waste of time. What if you miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?!

The truth is traveling won’t necessarily make you happier. It is a strong drug with lots of side effects. Long-term travelers often find themselves tired, angry or sad, just like everyone else.

So, what do you do if you end up in their shoes? 

Like everything in life, travel calls for balance. The secret lies in deprivation and appreciation. Don’t rush out to your next destination; take a moment to contemplate your life. We are lucky to live in an age when travel is affordable and quite accessible. We’ve become used to it and even begun to take it for granted.

Learn from the Stoics

Make your favorite activity a treat! How? Back in time, the Stoics (members of the philosophical school of Stoicism) understood just how miserable runaway desire can make you feel. For example, Epictetus once wrote that “a wise man is the one who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has”.

What’s something you used to cherish that you now take for granted? Well, you have the absolute and unconditional right to move freely around the globe, but you might have stopped taking pleasure in it.

The verdict is you have reached the deprivation point. What should you do? Cut back on travel for a while. You could stop traveling for three months or three years – it all depends on you. This is not a “give it up for good” call; it’s an invitation to “leave it for later”. If you abstain from travel for a short period of time, when you come back to it, you’ll love it even more.

This philosophy is not about restricting your enjoyment of life, but about enhancing it. The Stoics believed that living in the present moment allows us to get more out of our lives.

Here’s what inspired me: an article by Eric Barker on how Stoic ideas can make you happy. Eric is one of my favorite bloggers; he uses science-based answers and expert insights to creates guides on being awesome at life.

How to savor your journeys

Be present, wherever you are. Once you’ve embarked on your journey, slow down your pace. Pick one or two destinations instead of a list of must-sees. Take time to indulge in your meals, talk to people, wander aimlessly or just marvel at the beautiful sights around you. 

Maybe you suffer from dromomania

Did you know there’s a disease called dromomania? You might have heard of it by its other name: wanderlust. It is defined as an uncontrollable urge to wander, spontaneously depart, leave your routine and travel long distances. So, if you accept our challenge to deprive yourself of travel for a while but still can’t control your urges, you might be a dromomaniac.

Here are some of the symptoms of dromomania:

•         Your suitcase is never fully unpacked; you use it as a makeshift wardrobe.
•         You carry at least three different currencies in your wallet… just in case.
•         The thought of staying home for the weekend makes you panic.
•         All your stories start with “When I was in…”

Read the full list of dromomania symptoms here.

The post Could you stop traveling for a year? (Think twice and say yes!) appeared first on 203Challenges.

2. Do only what you love. Don’t waste your time exploring somebody else’s dream destinations.

3. If something goes wrong, don’t get angry too quickly. Maybe something better is coming along instead.

4. Big expectations are the greatest obstacle to appreciating what you have.

5. Be present here and now. Don’t overthink yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. (Click here for more on mindful travel)

6. Instead of souvenirs, collect experiences, friends and beautiful memories.

7. Accept that not everything is made to be comfortable or to suit you.

8. What you think is ‘wrong’ might be normal here. Everything ‘normal’ has its geographical borders.

9. Don’t stick strictly to the plan – allow yourself the occasional detour. (Get inspired with Spontaneous travel – 9 steps to enjoy an unplanned trip)

10. Accept acts of hospitality. If someone in the street invites you to have a coffee, take the opportunity to get to know them. That’s how the best stories (and friendships) begin.

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