Have you ever traveled intuitively? While some people plan travel down to the last detail, this is the polar opposite approach. You have the basics booked—flight and maybe two or three nights of accommodation—but the rest is up in the air.
At first glance, intuition and travel may seem like opposites, but they actually complement each other extremely well. Intuition is wisdom, an internal GPS guiding your way in this world. It’s that quiet spark of energy that propels us forward and lights us up, but somehow we can’t explain it. We just know.
Meanwhile, travel is more action-oriented—a genuine and beautiful vehicle to see, engage, and connect with the world. It whisks us off to beautiful destinations for some quality R’s —rest, relaxation, and recharge.
Without realizing it, you’ve probably traveled intuitively more times than you can count. When was the last time you…
- Went on a last-minute vacation because you needed to getaway?
- Changed dinner plans last minute and ventured to a different restaurant?
- Grabbed drinks with someone you just met?
- Cut something out of your vacation itinerary because you weren’t feeling it that day?
These are just a handful of ways intuition and travel complement each other beautifully.
In fact, ample research shows that travel benefits your overall wellbeing in a number of ways. It can relieve stress, promote happiness, improve your health, and boost your creativity.
Creativity, in fact, also strengthens your intuition. It helps you explore your subconscious and improves the connection to those intuitive muscles. Thus, when traveling you can tap into your creativity for a quick intuition check or access your creativity post-travel to relive those exciting memories you made while traveling.
Every time you return from a trip, expect to be relaxed and infused with some intense creative juices flowing. For instance, you may find yourself drawing a beautiful landscape you witnessed, attempting a new dance you learned, arranging your photos from the trip in a unique way, or cooking that favorite meal you tried.
As author Dean Koontz says, “Intuition is seeing with the soul,” so why not travel deeper, but using your soul to experience more? This form of travel has many names: intuitive travel, purposeful travel, and deep travel.
If this is your jam, here are five ways to let your intuition guide you in the travel planning process and to travel deeper on your next vacation.
1. Plan a trip around nature.
What type of nature speaks to your soul? Is it the clear-blue ocean? Majestic mountains? Or do you like wintery days spent skiing down powdery-white slopes? Nature is healing and purifying. Listen to your body, and try to incorporate some time in nature wherever you are going. This will help create more room for your intuition to shine and guide you on your trip.
You don’t have to spend all day in nature. Whether you’re visiting a metropolitan city or in a cabin in the woods, just carve out 10 minutes a day to sit in nature.
2. Lean into those gut feelings.
Whatever those feelings are, lean in. Follow them. Make them a priority when you’re planning your trip and while you’re there. Money and time can be a big factor when planning a trip, but try not to overthink things. Instead, try setting a budget, then check in with yourself to see if that feels good. Keep going until you find the perfect budget and amount of vacation time that works for you.
3. Focus on the next right step.
If you’re planning to travel intuitively, focusing on the next right step can be a stress saver. The first step is to lean into that gut feeling (i.e your intuition). You can do this by taking a couple of deep breaths, practicing meditation, or having some silent time. Then, focus on the next right step at hand.
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you go on your trip because your intuition is your guide. In fact, concentrating on the next right step may help alleviate unnecessary details and help you gain clarity on what you’re actually seeking from your trip.
Maybe you discover you want a deeper connection, to heal from a trauma, restoration, or pure fun. Whatever it is, focusing on the next right step will unlock your intuition during travel to bring you exactly what you need and desire.
4. Allow yourself to play the entire trip and stay curious.
Travel is supposed to be fun, exploratory, healing, revitalizing, and much more. When you show up ready to play and fully engage with whatever comes your way during your vacation, you’re switching on that little intuition button.
Stay present in the moment by engaging your curiosity. What’s that flavor in that delicious pasta dish? What makes the sauce black and pungent?
One easy exercise to help you stay present is to put your phone away and grab a map to explore the new city you’re in. This helps you understand the vibe of the city and helps you connect deeper to those around you. It connects you to both those you traveled with and with strangers, as they are super helpful when it comes to needing directions.
5. Ditch a strict itinerary, and stay open to all the possibilities.
That’s probably the last thing you expect to hear when you have a three-day getaway to an exotic destination and a jam-packed itinerary. You want to experience the thrills, the nightlife, dive stomach first into the tasty cuisine, and catch some heavy ZZZs once you’ve returned home. Or maybe you’re the exact opposite and the only thing on your schedule is sleep.
But before you make any ultimate decisions about the itinerary, encourage yourself to leave some wiggle room to allow your intuition to play. Ask yourself easy questions about what feels good now versus what you want to cross off your bucket list. At times, bucket list and intuition go hand and hand, but other times, a simple gut check will help you realign and find what feels good in the moment.
Leave room to turn down one activity because your intuition could be leading you to another. For instance, let’s say you had plans to go to a museum after lunch but randomly met some strangers who invited you to get drinks during that same time. Instead of staying committed to what you already had planned, let your intuition decide—that’s where all the magic happens!
Travel is all about the possibilities, and you never know who or what you may see.
Looking for more way to tap into your tuition? Don’t miss 6 Simple Ways to Intentionally Tap into Your Intuition and 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Intuition.