What do you do when you don’t travel?
I guess most people who love to roam the world and like being “on a mission” are often perceived by lots of others to be on the road literally 24/7.
Unless you are a “digital nomad” this is probably far from being the truth. Most probably you drag yourself to work/university or school everyday and are depend on your holidays and days off to be able to travel. And most probably you do have other interest and maybe even passions next to travelling which you also like to follow. Some hobbies can be nicely combined with your passion for travelling like many outdoor and water sports and of course photography. So what are your other passions and how do you manage them along your travels?
My inner struggle
The struggle which I am describing is of course not a real “issue”. I’m in a very priviliged position to be able to worry about those kinds of problems. Nontheless this problem always came back and it is about time that I write about it. Like many of you know already: I love travelling and animals, specifically horses and dogs. It’s as simple as that. Dedicating time to those two passions is not always that simple for me.
When I care and look after a horse (No I don’t have my own yet) then of course this requires time each week and consistency and dedication since the horse always needs a clean stables and excercises no matter if it’s a holiday or not. When I travel I can of course not look after this horse, then our shared development is in that time not pursued. So in that sense when I am on the road I miss horse riding terribly but if I am too long at one place I also get nervous and want to travel again. I need to create a good balance for myself where I can do both! I share with you how I try to do the following.
When you are at your temporary home for a while
- When I know I will live at one place for a longer period of time (around 3 months or longer) I try to find a stables where I can ride horses, otherwise not riding drives me mad and I miss it terribly!
- I surround myself with people who share my passion: Ever seen two horsey girls talking about what they love? Yeees we most of the time share a special bond, just like any other group of people who share a common interest. Go out and find those people at the place where you are new to, and you will feel more at home immediately 🙂
When you are travelling:
- See if you can combine and incorporate your other passion while you travel
- Is your passion being done differently in the countries you visit? Can you learn new practices and gain new insights that will be valuable and interesting for you?
- When it’s a longer trip than 3 weeks I organise myself at least a half-day outride- it’s safer for me and the people who I travel with then they don’t have to bear me all the time crying not being able to ride 😀 So far I could ride in South Africa, Uganda and Uruguay! 🙂
I’m still on a journey to find out how I want to live my life in the future where I can hopefully integrate all the things I love equally much (also a job!), or to an extend which I am happy with. I hate the feeling of being “between all chairs”. I love and need travelling but I also want to ride horses, preferably my very own one day, and I want to own dogs and spend as much time with those animals, of course with all the obligations it brings.
Other passions
In the great facebook group “Ladies gone Global” which is dedicated especially towards women who want both – travelling and pursue their other interest like career paths and of course other passions. I reached out and asked some of these women to share their experiences with this “issue”:
Lori Popeski: “Yoga for me! I practice and teach at home so when traveling I always check out local classes and studios. Right now I’m doing that in Bali!!! You can find her Yoga adventures here on Instagram.
Jaime Kiara: “Running for me! I currently am writing a blog post about my trail run in Spain. Instead of taking the bus I ran to the towns instead ” When she is not on the road she also posts on Instagram!
Natasha Sinton: “You can [horse] ride all over the world and it’s a great way of seeing the local area. But best to check the safety and horse welfare standards sometimes! Other places I’d like to visit because of the horse riding opportunities are Mongolia, Argentina, Iceland and Norway (fjord horses are my favourite!)”
And what about you? I’m super curious about your experiences with that topic. What is your other passion next to travelling and how do you manage/combine them?
“Wherever you go-go with all you heart” <3
A huge thanks to talented Anne Naomi for capturing and editing the horsey pictures (where I wear light blue and pink). Also a great thanks to the lovely ladies’ input from the facebook group! It’s always a good experience exchanging with like-minded people!
