Building Your Future Travel Life One Choice at a Time

As things start to take shape here, I’m shifting gears a little with this edition of the newsletter. My goal going forward is to post twice a week—with each post serving a slightly different purpose.

On Tuesdays, I’ll be sharing tips and strategies to help you with your travels—whether that’s traveling more often or better aligning your travel with your goals. These will be high-level, practical insights that apply no matter what your specific travel goals are. Then on Fridays, I’ll continue with the more inspirational posts: short stories from my own travels, like the ones I’ve shared recently from Greenland and Nuku Hiva. Meant to spark curiosity and maybe give you that extra push to get out there and try something big, new, or different.

So let’s jump into the first Tuesday post: choices.

Every day, we make choices. Some small, some big, most barely noticed. What to eat. Whether to take the elevator or stairs. Whether to work late or log off. Whether to spend or save. Whether to say yes or no. You get the idea. Most of these decisions are pretty routine, but added up over time, they quietly shape the life we live…and the one we’re building for tomorrow.

Standing under the shadow of Devils Tower, Wyoming — the reward a decision to stop hiding at home during lockdown and spend it safe and distant outdoors

This post isn’t about labeling choices as good or bad. Lord knows there’s enough judgment in the world in 2025. It’s about being honest with yourself about whether your choices are aligned with your goals. Specifically: do your daily choices support your desire to travel more? (I’m assuming you want to travel more or in a more fulfilling way… because… why else would you choose to be here? See what I did there?) Unless you have unlimited time and money (in which case, I’m for real seriously jealous), travel usually requires some trade-offs.

Want to travel more but constantly upgrading your car, clothes, or devices? That might be worth rethinking. Fancy coffeeshop runs every day? Maybe they’re a small joy that keeps you sane…or maybe, just maybe, they’re an easy place to shift a bit of spending toward future adventures. Short on time? Consider how you’re using your vacation days. Are you maximizing long weekends or combining holidays with paid time off? And if your job makes it nearly impossible to take time off, is there a way to eventually shift into something that gives you more flexibility, even if it pays a little less?

Gásadalur cliffs, Faroe Islands — an experience that took time, planning, and some sacrifice to get to.

Friends often ask me why I don’t have pets, especially knowing how much I enjoy them. It’s not because I don’t want one (or more). I absolutely do. But pets are a major time commitment, and I know I wouldn’t be giving them the home they deserve while I’m constantly on the road. That was a conscious choice. One made to support the life I’ve prioritized. This really was a “one or the other” decision I had to make… and I chose the one I felt would maximize long-term happiness for me.

Here’s the real heart of it: your future travel-oriented life doesn’t just “happen.” It’s built. One choice at a time. And if your daily decisions don’t align with your goals, your life one, five, or even 25 years from now will not look anything like the one you dream about.

Uluru at sunrise: a reminder that far-off places start with a close-in choices.

Here’s a simple exercise to try today: write down five big choices you’ve made recently—this week, this month, or even just today. Do they move you closer to your travel goals? Or are they pulling you in a different direction? Now think about some upcoming decisions you know are on the horizon. Can you approach them differently with your goals in mind?

I’ll be writing more about setting clear travel goals in an upcoming post. But for now, start with this: your everyday choices matter. They are the foundation. The life you want, especially a life filled with quality travel, isn’t a fantasy. It’s a direction. And you get there by choosing the right path, over and over again.