Stop Dreaming, Start Traveling! How I Turned Wanderlust Into Action!

Contents

From Fantasies to Footsteps: My Journey to Turning Wanderlust into Reality

Ever caught yourself daydreaming about faraway places, but never making it past your daydreams? Here’s how I turned them into reality.

Prologue: A Restless Night Sparks a Life-Changing Decision

It was 3 AM, 1997. I was at my kitchen table, flipping through glossy travel magazines, lost in images of Mediterranean coastlines, the Camino de Santiago, and the charming streets of French villages.

It was 1997, after all…

Over the years, I had made some wonderful friends in France, and two of them had always dreamed of visiting the United States.

I was so thrilled to help them make that dream come true. We spent an unforgettable month together, but one night in a New York City bar stands out.

As we drank our beers, one of them leaned in with a warm smile and said, “David, you know, you’re welcome to stay at my place anytime.

His sincerity was clear. Even with all the fun we had, he sensed my restlessness, my dissatisfaction with life.

But before I could accept his offer, some things had to change…

A Movie, A Realization: The Moment That Changed Everything

It was a typical Wednesday evening, and I was slumped on the couch after a long day at a job I hated, mindlessly flicking through my 500 channels of cable TV, bags of take out food spread out on the coffee table because I was just too burned out to cook anymore.

During my mindless flicking, I stumbled upon the 1995 film “Before Sunrise”, and instead of feeling inspired by the romance and adventure, I felt an overwhelming sense of entrapment.

Entrapped by the monotony of my routine, the fear of venturing into the unknown, and most painfully, the realization that I had been living in a perpetual state of ‘someday,’ while the world, love and romance, passed me by.

That night marked a turning point.

I could keep living vicariously through others, or I could finally act on my own travel dreams.

The epiphany came not with fanfare but in the quiet of that ordinary evening.

Facing My Fears: Could I Really Make This Happen?

Once I decided to act, fear hit me hard.

How could I afford it?

What if something went wrong?

I sat at my desk, travel brochures and guidebooks, like Frommer’s “Europe on $50 a day”, spread out, passport in one hand, phone in the other, ready to book a flight to Spain for the Camino de Santiago.

Too restless to sit, I got up and began pacing the room, eventually finding myself at the bookshelf, where my fingers traced the worn edges of “The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage” by Paulo Coelho, their pages dog-eared and filled with my notes.

The Camino de Santiago was pulling me in, just like it did with Coelho.

Staring down at those maps and guidebooks spread out across the desk, I was finally ready to dive into the dream.

My eyes darted between the Camino routes and the French towns I dreamed of exploring next, my heart racing with the possibilities.

My stomach in knots, filled with doubts.

But then I remembered all the times I let fear hold me back. Something shifted.

Instead of seeing obstacles, I saw challenges to overcome.

I wasn’t fearless, but I decided to move forward despite the fear.

I started small, taking on part-time jobs here and there, saving each month, researching budget travel, learning to pack light.

Each small victory chipped away at the barriers that had held me back.

Taking the First Step: Turning ‘What If?’ into ‘Why Not?’

The first step was the hardest. My hand trembled as I dialed the airline to book my flight to Spain.

A part of me screamed to hang up, but the other part, craving adventure, felt a thrill like never before.

This wasn’t just about booking a flight, it was about committing to a dream.

It reminded me of when I left a stable job I was successful in for a promotion, uncertainty loomed, but the potential was too great to ignore.

So, I turned my ‘what if?’ into ‘why not?

Building Momentum: How Small Wins Built My Confidence

With that first step taken, everything else began to fall into place.

I started saving up and got myself some new hiking boots and camping gear, and started going out on long walks.

The fresh air cleared my head and the walking helped brighten my mood.

By taking these steps I was not only visualizing my dreams, but taking action on them.

Each small action brought me closer to my goal, making it feel more real with every passing day.

These small victories didn’t just build momentum, they built confidence.

I was no longer dreaming, I was doing.

Image Created by the Author and DALL-E

From Dream to Reality: The Moment Everything Came Together

The day finally arrived. As the plane touched down in Barcelona, emotions rushed through me.

The warm Spanish sun, the sounds of the bustling airport, it was everything I’d imagined, yet completely different.

Stepping out of the Metro onto the streets of Barcelona, I was overwhelmed in the best way, the ancient cathedrals, lively plazas, even las Ramblas.

It was all unfamiliar, yet exhilarating.

Walking the Camino de Santiago, I embraced the quiet moments and the connections with fellow pilgrims.

A deep sense of peace settled in, preparing me for the next chapter.

By the time I arrived in France, staying with my friend in a familiar town, I was ready to truly experience life as a local, visiting markets, improving my French, and soaking in the rhythms of daily life.

This experience, this reality, was worth every moment of doubt and fear.

The dream had become something tangible, something I could see, touch, and feel.

At that moment, I knew I had changed.

I wasn’t just someone who dreamed, I was someone who made things happen.

The Final Step: Your Journey Begins Now

The journey from dreaming to doing isn’t about giant leaps, it’s about small, consistent steps.

It’s about embracing uncertainty, pushing through fear, and savoring even the smallest victories.

So, what’s stopping you from turning your travel dreams into action?

Start now, with whatever you have. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be real.

Your Call To Action!

What travel dream have you been putting off?

Share it in the comments.

I’d love to hear about your journey and cheer you on along the way!