Find the Joy of Traveling at a Slower Pace

Just about every aspect of our daily lives today is fast-paced. From work to school to our social lives it seems that lately it can be tough to unwind and relax. The same can also be said of traveling.

The hurry-up-and-cram-it-all-in mentality has become its own form of travel in recent years, leading to what's known as travel fatigue. In this form of travel, we're inherently and constantly "on alert," traveling at a fast pace and seeing as much as possible in a short time which can cause overstimulation and burnout. In other words, that feeling where you need a vacation from your vacation.

While these types of vacation can be both fun and extremely memorable, there's no rule that travel has to be this way. The answer? Slow travel.

What is slow travel?

The term "slow travel" is exactly what it sounds like: taking the time to truly soak in all your chosen destination and its culture has to offer.

Slow travel encourages us to get back to the very reasons we travel for leisure in the first place. Traveling should allow us to connect to the environment, people, places, culture, and even food in each of the destinations we visit, and every unique place should leave us with an emotional and educational impact. However, not pausing or even slowing down to immerse ourselves in a new place prevents us from forming those deeper connections. Instead of a travel destination making a powerful impression on us, we're often left with the feeling that the trip was a blur.

Slow travel means very literally traveling at an unhurried pace. It can be as simple as avoiding overly touristy areas or staying in one area of town and spending your time wandering around aimlessly. Of course, it can be more complicated than that and you can stay in one area for weeks or even months. The only real "rule" of slow travel is that it should have as few rules as possible.

Benefits of slow travel

Slow travel is experiential, prioritizing quality over quantity. It's leaving the guidebook, hour-by-hour itinerary, and lists of "top places" behind and instead focusing on the hidden gems and local favorites — the places that define a region and give it unique character. Remote working website RemoteYear.com explains it beautifully: "The impact that these connections have on you will last a lot longer than the memories that you have of racing from tourist attraction to tourist attraction."

Here are just some of the many benefits of slow travel.

• Prevents travel burnout - Travel in and of itself is exhausting, never mind when you're trying to see and do everything you physically can. Your trip should be energizing and refreshing, not draining. Consider shortening your must-see list so you can thoroughly enjoy the places you do visit. Remember, you can always go back.
• Gives you a fresh perspective - You'll learn and experience so much more when you travel at the laid-back pace of a local, as opposed to a frenzied tourist.
• Allows you to truly live in the present - Without worrying about checking items off a to-do list or hurrying to the next place, you can focus solely on the here and now.
• Saves you money - Avoiding touristy attractions and areas saves quite a bit of money, as local restaurants and shops tend to be more affordable.
• Helps create meaningful connections - The power of a simple conversation is incredible. When you're hyper-focused on the next "thing," though, or your head is buried in your phone, you miss out on those opportunities. Look up, look around, and smile.
• Gets you out of your comfort zone - Traveling in this slightly non-traditional way isn't necessarily the easiest or most convenient option — and that's a good thing!
• Encourages personal growth and development - Expanding on the previous point, pushing past your comfort zone is one of the best ways to hone skills, boost self-confidence, and grow. The lessons you learn while experiencing slow travel will stick with you for a lifetime.

How to slow travel

Fortunately, you don't need to do anything special to perfect the art of slow travel. In fact, in many ways, it's even simpler than traditional travel!

Live like a local

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in slow travel is to speak to the locals. From your taxi driver to the hotel clerk and the barista at the café, you should speak to literally everyone you meet. These people live, work, and play in this city and they know it much better than visitors. Take advantage of this incredible resource and simply ask for their best recommendations.

Don't try to see everything

...better yet, don't even make a plan! This one can be much easier said than done, but have some faith in the process and see how things unfold. If you're truly nervous about traveling without any sort of plan, ease into it by designating a day or two to be completely plan-free. Wake up and be open to what the universe may have in store for you on that particular day, then simply go along with it. You will likely end up seeing and experiencing even more than you would have with a carefully-planned itinerary!

Commit to saying "yes"

A major reason to travel is to learn and have new experiences — and that means getting outside your comfort zone and pushing past the familiar. Be open-minded and say "yes" to new opportunities you're offered. This is one of the best ways to get those learning experiences, both about your destination and yourself.

Wherever you're headed next and for however long, every trip offers the possibility to experience slow travel. Consider making one of Coast Hotels' many locations your home away from home as you (hopefully literally!) slow down and stop to smell the roses. Remember: not only is it okay to get uncomfortable, it's encouraged. Safe, slow travels!