Comments on: Could have, should have, would have: Trips that we book and never take

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 09:23:41 +0000

Thanks Nora (and thanks for providing the original inspiration!) Glad to hear things have worked out so well for you now. It’s strange how many things we can add to the list of ‘why we shouldn’t do it now’. And once we act we suddenly see them for the trivial obstacles that they are.

By: Nora

Nora — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:30:13 +0000

Great article, Andy – and thanks for the reference to my article!
It was this constant postponing and the “travel-would-be-great-but-I-can’t-right-now” mindset that eventually led to the ball dropping in my own life (five years ago); I got very sick, and it was only when i was forced to stop doing everything else (ie: work) for a spell that I had a chance to re-evaluate what I was doing.
The end result? I sold everything (including my business) to travel full-time. Everything worked out better than I could have imagined, and I haven’t looked back since!

By: Leigh

Leigh — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:09:40 +0000

Postponing travel with young kids years ago was not an option for me or my husband. We’d book a trip 6 months out – like a much longed for 10 day bike trip to Portugal – and then worry about babysitting & finances. Once we committed the rest always fell into place – though not without work. I don’t think I’ve ever postponed a trip. I’ve had to scale down a trip to fit the budget and I used to camp a lot more than I do now. But I’ve traveled with a 10 day old!

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:48:33 +0000

Thanks for sharing your great story Alisha. No surprises that you didn’t regret deciding to take the trip and the experiences you gained by travelling solo in Spain will serve you well when you do launch into your career.

By: Alisha

Alisha — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:34:22 +0000

Hi Andy, love the post, the one line that stuck out to me the most: Travel is not just a frivolous luxury. It can hold the key to life-defining memories and insights – so what are you waiting for?

That’s the one thing I’ve learned having taken my trip to Spain this year. I had so many obstacles facing me: incredible student loan debt, a new apartment with fresh rent to be paid, a failing job, and judgmental family. Spain was my dream trip, I had been planning for over a year before I got to a point where I just said “forget it, I’m doing this!” and sure enough a few weeks after my birthday, I bought my plane tickets. it was go big or go home for me. I ended up traveling solo through Spain for about 2 weeks and it was the best decision I could have made for myself. as a young adult people tell you to live your life and never miss out on any moments, but at the same time post-graduation is one of the most stressful times in our lives. we’re pressured to pursue a successful career, and to hold off on these vacations til we’re older. and I just couldn’t and can’t take it. I had to get out and see the world for myself. Now I’ll never look back. I’m already itching for my next international getaway.

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:26:29 +0000

Thanks Monay. Glad you liked it.
And Nancy, do make it to Russia if you can. It’s an amazing country, especially if you go east of Moscow.

By: Monay

Monay — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:50:58 +0000

Just wanted to tell that this is an inspiring article.

“Travel is not just a frivolous luxury. It can hold the key to life-defining memories and insights” –> Amen to that!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:28:05 +0000

Such wise words. I’ve tried to travel whenever I possibly could, but I still find myself sometimes being hampered by money/safety concerns. However, I know those are just beliefs and not reality. I regret once not going to Russia. I booked a ticket since I was living in Austria at the time, but I ran out of time to get a visa. I could have paid an intermediary source to expedite the visa, but didn’t. I still want to one day make it there.

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:54:44 +0000

Very true Brian. I am determined to see that eclipse soon though! I have the next decade’s eclipses planned out and will plan a trip around one. Thanks for stopping by.

By: brian

brian — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:32:53 +0000

It is the Mark Twain quote with real life examples. You’ll have more regrets about the things you don’t do.

I would have definitely told them I had plans and to expect my start date to be delayed or I would have to have time off soon after I started. The eclipse is a once in many years event. You hope they are understanding, but if you don’t ask you don’t get.