In this day and age, it's easy to be scared of the world. A few minutes of doomscrolling will fill your mind with images of how awful humans can be toward each other and everything on the planet. This is only a small part of being on this earth, yet it takes up the most space in our daily life. There's one way to develop a more well-rounded outlook: travel.

When we say travel, we aren't talking about relaxing on a cruise and only disembarking into port cities that cater to these ships. That's fine if that's your thing, but what we are talking about is becoming a TRAVELER, not a TOURIST. 

How do you do that?

Go for a local experience on all levels. Food, hotels, attractions, everything. Take a bus instead of a private car. Eat at any little food joint that is filled with locals - if they are there, you know its good. Stay in bed and breakfasts or small establishments run by members of the community. Talk to people - if you don't speak the language and they don't speak English, play charades. It's fun, it gets people laughing and you'd be surprised how much conversation you can have with gestures. In some countries, especially in the Middle East and Central Asia, you will likely be asked to have tea, or even invited into a home for lunch. GO. Middle Eastern hospitality is world renown, genuine and a point of pride in their culture - you'd just never know it from watching the news.

Getting there is half the adventure. There will be delays and cancellations. Your luggage might not arrive with you. You will get lost. You might break a sandal or accidentally fill your car with watered down gas in some part of the world where there isn't an easy fix (stay tuned for blog posts about both of these things - they actually happened to us!). Lean into the full experience, don't panic, ask the locals for help. You will find that not only will you come out ok, you will have met some amazing people and have a really good story to tell back home.

Choose to explore places where other people don't go. Sometimes you need to be on a tour to do this (Turkmenistan), and if so, find one that is small, hires local guides and gives back to the community they operate in. G Adventures and Intrepid are both well known for doing just this. Just because the western world hasn't really been to a place doesn't mean its dangerous or unworthy - it actually means you will find more unspoiled culture and more people delighted that you are visiting their country (tourism fatigue is real, you guys). You may not be able to find a Starbucks, but you will find things of much greater value.

Getting away from your daily routine at home is key and probably the most important. Your priorities on the road are sleeping, eating and experiencing everything around you.  It’s not doctors appointments, bills, kids, or work. For the span of the trip, you are living in the present moment, which we rarely get to do at home. It shifts your perspective and grounds you in a way that is hard to explain. 

Being photographers gives us a unique insight into travel: our priorities are getting off the beaten path, meeting locals, arriving somewhere in time for the right light or researching the highest vantage point in a city. These are also things that anyone can benefit from. Dive into wherever you are, think outside the box, explore that alleyway. Be smart and safe but don't let the news scare you - there is so much beauty in the world. Life beings at the end of your comfort zone.