'Conscious Travel' - Exploring the World, Mindfully

What Does 'Conscious Travel' Mean to You?

Conscious travel to me means taking the time to be prepared before you disembark on your next adventure. For example, when I was still in university I had traveled through Asia during a study abroad program and was by no means traveling sustainably. However, from that trip I observed the conditions and consciously thought about what I could change the next time I visited. When I went back, just this past year to places like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia I remembered how polluted the rivers and beaches were with trash, specifically plastic bottles. This time around I brought a refillable water bottle that I tried to use whenever possible and tried to get the largest size of water bottles if I had to buy new to reduce the amount of small plastic water bottles I was discarding.

Getting Involved: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I have been non-stop traveling for the last 2 years of my life, which forces you to learn how to travel light and how to make the most with what you have. I’ve also learned that we as humans really don’t need that much stuff to make us happy. In fact, I believe I am happier now than when I had more material things. From traveling, I have realized how much we use and waste on a daily basis, which of course contributes to our carbon footprint. I believe recycling is great and we should all recycle but the initiative is, in order of importance: reduce, reuse, recycle. People can start reducing their carbon footprint in everyday life by simply consuming less. If we all buy and use less things and then reuse what we do have, we will significantly reduce the effect of our carbon footprint on our home.