KATHRIN DI LAURO BLOG
Slow Travel
What is Slow Travel?
At some point, the need to slow down will encapsulate you. Whether it’s because a phone calendar filled with too many appointments overwhelms you or the need to disconnect and reconnect with yourself and nature calls out to you.
For me, it was the latter. Although I was always passionate about traveling, I was moving at the speed the world had asked of me. But these days, as I hike the Switzerland mountains (which is quite literally paradise on Earth), I embrace the grace, kindness, and fulfillment of “slow.”
I spend my days in nature, reveling in its beauty and abundance. I feel the sun on my face. I breathe in the fresh air. I take my time appreciating all it is instead of simply using its magic.
And over the past few years, this conscious and intentional habit has seeped into the way I travel. I’m not so concerned with doing all the things or checking off all the lists anymore. Instead, as a participant in the Universe, I’ve embodied the slow travel movement. I pursue serenity in every piece of the Earth my feet touch, and even while indulging in the luxurious services that I love, I prioritize a deep love for planet Earth and its selfless abundance.
So, what is slow travel exactly, and why do you need more of it in your life? Let’s start by breaking down the basics with a slow travel definition.
Slow Travel definition
Social media makes you feel like you have to be in the most exotic places with the most perfect filters to be living your best life, but the truth is, slowing things down is where the real beauty lies.
Slow travel is less about getting to the next stop or next destination and more about enjoying the one you’re in right now. It’s about disconnecting with the world online and reconnecting with the one right in front of you. It’s about traveling to pristine places and natural spaces.
And while the slow travel definition can slightly differ depending on who you ask, I believe that the answer to “what is slow travel,” centers around savoring nature and connecting with humanity at our own pace when we reach a new destination. It’s about respecting the spaces we each call home. Honoring them, reveling in them, and doing what we can to keep them sacred.
When you begin to slow travel, you trade in the chaos of a jam-packed vacation itinerary and welcome the experiences that fulfill your heart, mind, and soul. Experiences and connections with Mother Earth that slowly change who you are and how you look at the world so that you operate more intentionally and consciously.
Slow travel has changed my life, and I know it will change yours too.
The Slow Travel Movement
If you’re a fan of travel blogs, slow tourism may be something you’ve seen popping up more and more. And because the idea might be new to you, I want to share a little bit more about exactly why people are shifting their vacations to slow traveling. Because although it may sound like it, slow traveling does not mean foregoing your desire for luxury experiences or exploring popular destinations.
When you join the slow travel movement, you don’t have to forgo the places on your bucket lists but rather you’ll curate your experiences around them more consciously and intentionally. Give yourself a chance to walk the areas. Revel in the ancient history and natural beauty. Ride a bike through scenic routes. Visit the outskirts, not just the city center.
Alternatively, I highly recommend you make a conscious effort to travel to quieter, more untouched places in the world that are not your typical tourist destinations! Broaden your knowledge of the world and travel somewhere that forces you to slow down and embrace the untouched beauty of Mother Earth, where you capture Instagram content because you’re drawn to freeze that moment, not because you need to keep up with a trend.
In these destinations, in these slow travel moments, give yourself time to truly live. Soak up every experience. Step, hike, jump, climb, walk outside your comfort zone.
Slow Travel = Sustainable Luxury
When asked that question, what is slow travel, luxury is usually one of the last things on someone’s mind. They may even associate luxurious experiences as wasteful and overindulgent. But slow travel doesn’t mean trading in comfort, and the desire to spend time in nature doesn’t mean giving up the luxuries of full-service accommodations. (If you know me, you know very well that I prefer to stay at luxury properties and resorts over mainstream commercial behemoths.) But, traveling sustainably, intentionally, and slowly does not have to mean backpacking everywhere you go.
As a slow traveler, luxury gives you the sense of being thoroughly cared for while still fully caring for the environment and those around you. Read up on the property’s sustainability initiatives or seek out highly-rated eco lodges or eco hotels that leave minimal footprints on nature. Places that can give you conscious comfort and fulfillment while aiding the environment.
And trust me, when you intentionally go looking for them, you’ll be surprised at how many places you can find like this waiting for you and how Earth-centered accommodations only enhance the memories, connections, and abundance you build.
Slow travel is different from what we grew up on, for sure. But it’s a way of travel that’s not just fulfilling, it’s necessary. Not just for a break from the world but so that we can better learn how to live within it.
If you have a destination you’d love featured on this blog or are a slow travel-centric property perfect for slow travelers, I’d love to hear from you.
Read my articles about
Slow Travel
Through this blog, I’ll help you understand the fundamentals of slow traveling with tips to incorporate into your next trip. It’s about time we shift our perspectives to travel intentionally and travel slowly.
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