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The Underrated Power Of Traveling Less
Reflections on slowing it down as a world traveler
I never thought I’d say this, but here it is: the most travel-obsessed person I know — me, the guy with a travel blog, always planning and encouraging the next trip — found that 2024 was better because I traveled less. And not just better for travel itself — my entire year was way more meaningful and more memorable because I slowed down. In a world that constantly pushes us to travel more, I went the other way — 2024 was the year I traveled the least. And guess what? It turned out to be the most fulfilling, meaningful, and downright joyful year I’ve had in a long time.
January 2024
I started the year by saying no to a winter trip to Poland with some of my best friends. It sounded amazing, but I had a lot on my plate. I needed to save money for this year’s college tuition — which costs three times more for me as an international, non-European student. Even though Poland is a budget-friendly destination, especially for those of us living in Dublin, I couldn’t afford to spend a single penny on travel during the first half of the year.
And the result? My friends went on their amazing trip, and I stayed behind. I loved seeing them have the time of their lives, but this time, I had to enjoy it from a distance.
