Unlocking your travel motives
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
Call it “nature” (personality traits) AND “nurture” (experiences) - motives are the reasons behind why you do what you do. Completely unique to you, travel motives get you excited about a particular trip, shape your decisions and cause certain memories and experiences to stick with you long after the trip itself.
I wanted to learn more about what was driving my insatiable urge to see the world so I took a deep dive into travel research. From my notes and reflections, I developed a rough formula for what I call Travel Bliss to try and express the relationships between all the things that influenced my own travel personality (can you say travel nerd?!). The formula is an unscientific but pretty useful tool that is helping me discover my own journey to creating Travel Bliss.
The great thing is that the formula is all about action and experimentation which anyone can do even at home if travelling is off the table. It's taking me some practice, but I am personally learning how to incorporate the formula and the mindset into my everyday life.
Have you received my free BOLD ACTION GUIDE to transform your “bucket list” to TRAVEL BLISS?
Travel Motives are a key ingredient in the Travel Bliss Formula that promotes wellbeing for travellers. I’ve narrowed the research down to 4 basic travel motives. We experience them all, but the combination and strength is unique. Plus, our travel-selves change as we age and with experience, and certain motives may become stronger or weaker over time.
The four travel motives are Escape, Connection, Novelty and Growth. Read the following descriptions to try to figure out your motive mix. Or take the free quiz for a quick and simple indication of your strongest travel motive.
Table of Contents
ESCAPE
Travel Motive Definition:
to slip away from or elude (pursuers, captors, etc.)
to succeed in avoiding (any threatened or possible danger or evil)
To escape and sit quietly on the beach - that's my idea of paradise.
Emilia Wickstead
The motivation to escape through travel is often about a need to rest, relax or break out of either stress or routine. When you have “escaped” from the routine of life you don’t have to think about what’s for dinner, cleaning up, expectations or being on time for anything. You also aren’t likely to be challenged by having to navigate new territory or be faced with the possibility of getting lost (literally and metaphorically).
Physical comfort, beautiful vistas, time to do nothing or time to play with no obligations or demands. AHHHH, easy! There is no shame to be had here, just an awareness about what your needs are.
Our family has, on occasion, prioritized an escape motivated holiday. Escape is lower on my list of motivations but a bit higher on my husband’s whose career has been more politically demanding (and occasionally soul sucking). There have been times I have chattered on about discovering Cappadocia in Turkey or retracing my father’s steps through Sarajevo and I’d look up to see a face that just needs the healing sun of Maui, at a resort we’ve been to before, eating fresh, familiar foods and speaking English.
All-inclusives, sun destinations, cruises and group tours have some familiarity, structure and security packed in. One published study found that annual vacations reduced the risk of death from any cause, and specifically death from heart disease in men with high risk. OK! Let’s go and escape!
…or running away
Another way of looking at this motive is from the angle of “leaving it all behind”! In Anderson Cooper's memoir, Dispatches from the Edge, he described his early years of wanderlust and journalism into high-risk war-torn countries as a need to avoid being in the “real world,” numbing himself with the world’s horrors and avoiding the darkness of his life at home. If you feel that Escape is your primary motive and there might be a hint of running away in the mix - I hope you can find a way to heal “home!”
Escape & Wellbeing for Travellers
Being crystal clear on your motivations, especially if it is Escape, is imperative to avoid disappointment and travel disasters. Clifton Fadiman reminds us that, “a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” So don’t employ the newness of Novelty or the challenge of Growth motives if you are really after familiarity and relaxation!
Consider also that to satisfy the desire to escape may be rooted in the need for self compassion. Wellbeing activities, particularly during times of stress and challenge, wraps up kindness, connection and mindfulness in a gift of self-care.
A few ideas to apply your Escape Motive (home & away)
Grab some art supplies and sketch a beautiful vista or lose yourself in an adult colouring book (like this one!)
Check out the Escape & Unwind playlist on Spotify or make your own
Create an at home spa day to pamper and spend quality time with yourself
Go out to eat at a favourite restaurant or coffee shop that you love with people that make you smile.
Lose yourself in a novel such as The Mountains Wild, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Scent Keeper or The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Spend some extra time in nature - preferably by water and pay attention to your senses.
Novelty
Travel Motive Definition:
state or quality of being new, or unique
an unfamiliar occurrence, experience, or proceeding
An adventure is a transgression you don’t regret.
Kate Wheeler
Novelty shakes up everyday life by disrupting thinking patterns and habits. New experiences provide opportunities to experience the world with a fresh perspective. When this happens outside of our comfort zones, novelty pushes, challenges and stretches our limits.
The Novelty Motive is present for most travel lovers and, according to social anthropologist Erik Cohen in the early ‘70’s, there is usually some sort of quest for novelty in a trip. If this is your top motive, then it is likely a deeply rooted allure for experiences that are unfamiliar, unique and/or unexpected.
A pull to seek new places might also be in your genetic material! It is estimated that 1 in 5 people have what researchers dubbed the wanderlust gene. It is a modified gene that results in a lower sensitivity to the pleasure neurotransmitter called dopamine. Those with it may seek out novelty or other high risk behaviours to increase their dopamine “hit”. In evolutionary history, the wanderlust gene was likely selected as humans began to seek new territories in the great migrations out of Africa 50,000 years ago. They survived and thrived! Novelty can be your top travel motive whether you have this gene or not. The genetic influence is thought to be small in what we know is complex behaviour.
Even if you don’t consider yourself an extreme adventure seeker, novelty may be the primary fuel for your passion for travel because new experiences are often enjoyed within close proximity of your comfort zone. I am no Shackleton, but I do like a good adventure. To be clear, however, I wouldn't consider myself an extremist or serious risk-taker. Upon reflection, it's more about an aversion to routine than a penchant for risk. My mother often teases that as a child I got bored if we had the same placemats on the table for several days. When I plan my routes (across Europe or just to the grocery store), I go out of my way to avoid backtracking. I like to change things up often and I am happiest going somewhere new.
Not a fit?
At this point, if Novelty doesn’t seem a perfect fit for you, there are probably other motives that are also quite strong. If:
learning or self-discovery is your “NEW” focus - your companion motive may be GROWTH.
you are more after a sense of belonging or authentic relationships - you may equally be driven by CONNECTION
you like new experiences in order to fully disconnect from your everyday reality - ESCAPE is what you’re after!
Novelty and Wellbeing for Travellers
Novelty is great for your brain! It rattles routine and introduces your brain to new stimuli which activates amazing neurological reward circuits. You are boosting your cognitive health when your brain is exposed to an environment that is unfamiliar and complex because it reacts by forming new connections as it tries to categorize the new and unusual stimuli.
Those who are interested and optimistic about new experiences also open the door to potential moments of awe. Awe is an emotion that, according to research out of California, helps us be happier, healthier, more humble, and more connected to the people around us. Travels are supercharged when they include moments of awe.
A few ideas to apply your Novelty Motive (at home & away)
Dive into a new, specialized hobby that has a learning curve. Combine it with a travel element such as photo editing, growing dahlias inspired from a garden tour, using essential oils for the best jet lag cure or, like me, fly fishing because there are trout all around the world!
Roll the dice on the Google Earth menu for a random spot to explore - research and design an itinerary that includes this location.
Host a taste test of wine, whisky, chocolate, honey, or balsamic vinegar with family or friends for a combination of novelty and social connection.
Shake up your reading list with travel related books not in your typical genre such as Forty Autumns, The Snow Child, A House in the Sky, or Death at La Fenice.
Add a sense of achievement or personal challenge. Do what you already love but go farther, higher, longer or on your own.
Connection
Travel Motive Definition
the act or state of connecting or being in relationship or networked with.
One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.
Henry Miller
When people with the Connection Motive share their travel stories, they are often about the interesting people they have met, or the experiences that happen because of others.
Connection is inherently social and if it is one of your top motives, you are likely more of an extravert. While people with higher extroversion thrive on being with people, don’t think the connection motive is only an extrovert thing. Social connection registers in our brains in the same way as physical pleasure. Those who are more solitary and enjoy their own company psychologically need connection too. It just looks different sometimes. It may show up in a stronger sense of belonging when tracing down ancestral roots or learning about history that highlights a sense of identity and place in the world.
My husband and I are both happy introverts. Connection is not our strongest motive yet connection is behind some of our strongest and most rewarding travel memories. Despite ourselves sometimes, it has been through connecting with others that we have been able to experience things we never could have planned or imagined.
Connection and Wellbeing for Travellers
Traveling improves HOW people connect with others when they are on a trip but also when they are back at home. For example, travellers are forced to hone their communication skills to navigate through uncharted territory when ordering from a menu that they don’t understand, asking for help when problem solving has hit a brick wall, or asking strangers for recommendations. Travel communication done with kindness and gratitude as a visitor is great practice for communication at home. Plus the more we connect, the richer and deeper the experience and the better at it we get!
A few ideas to apply your Connection Motive (home & away)
Go where people meet! Check out local cafes, markets, public parks, fireworks displays, festivals and galleries.
Design a pub/restaurant/distillery/ice cream shop crawl This is great fun in your own home town or make the plans for a dream destination.
Research the history of your ancestors' relationships - find a story about love or triumph, tragedy or scandal.
Read someone else’s story about connection in a foreign place such as Moloka’i, The Alice Network, or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Learn phrases to "break the ice" in multiple languages and find people to practice with!
Follow my Connection idea and inspiration board on Pinterest!
Growth
Travel Motive Definition
development from a simpler to a more complex stage
Travel not to find yourself but to remember who you’ve been all along.
Anonymous
Those with the Growth Motive for travel are looking to be deeply and personally engaged by their experiences. There is often a desire to search for clarity, personal insight or a renewed sense of wonder through travel experiences. When reminiscing, those driven by Growth share travel stories steeped with transformation, changed perspectives and inspiration.
Several studies confirm that the brain does indeed get its growth needs met while travelling. Studies out of the University of Southern California suggest that the opportunity to engage with people and places with different backgrounds and histories help to build a strong and acculturated sense of self. I had to look up the term acculturated! It means the process of learning and incorporating the values, beliefs, language, customs and mannerisms of a new place - a concept that promotes both acceptance and tolerance of diversity.
Opportunities for personal growth are everywhere while on the road. Travellers have more freedom to test out slightly altered versions of themselves without the expectations or obligations of daily life. This opens the door wide to learning and, as Rick Steves says, creates an appetite for the world.
I’ve noticed that my travel stories are often steeped in personal growth and learning about myself and who I am in relation to others. Sometimes they are related to successful problem solving or stellar planning, often they are a result of spectacularly unsuccessful situations that I survived somehow! I find myself seeking or creating experiences that have the potential for self-discovery and I also am learning how to simply be open to them as a natural part of being on the road.
Not a fit?
At this point, if Growth doesn’t seem to fit for you, there are probably other motives that are also quite strong. If:
pushing your comfort zone in unfamiliar situations is a trend for your growth - your companion motive may be NOVELTY.
your need for learning is intertwined with a focus on building NEW authentic relationships and connections with other cultures - you may equally be driven by CONNECTION
you like to fully disconnect from your everyday reality to see what that feels like or to provide you some headspace to think - ESCAPE is what you’re after!
Growth and Wellbeing for Travellers
For some, growth might mean creative growth. Many artists, musicians and writers throughout history have gone in search of inspiration for their arts on the road. There is now science supporting this with links between travel experiences and increased levels of creativity.
For others growth may be less expressive and more inward. One study of older adults found that travelling generated meaning in their lives, created more introspection and clarity about themselves and, in doing so, helped them better understand others.
A few ideas to apply your Growth Motive (at home & away)
If you don’t journal - start! Doodle, make lists, ponder things. It’s ok to be an unconventional journal writer as you begin to connect your thoughts and your heart through your hands.
Sign up or design a challenge related to self-development or a hobby. I completed a 365 Gratitude challenge on instagram one year which was full of personal growth!
“Ask yourself what tugs at your heart as you contemplate looking back and looking forward.” Do this by participating in a guided autobiography course (my recommendation).
Fuel your love of learning (with a dash of travel) with a book such as Walking to the End of the World, The Forgotten Daughter, The Paris Library, or The Alchemist.
Witness the start and/or end of a day by watching a sunset or sunrise.
What’s your Travel Motive mix?
The quiz can help give a rough indication of your strongest motive, but where and how do the others influence you? Read them over and try rating each on a scale of 1-10 while reflecting on your past travel experiences and your current travel longings. Keep learning and experimenting. Try out a variety of the suggested wellbeing activities and notice what stands out and what brings you closer to that travel-happy feeling.
Remember that Travel Bliss is personal and unique to you.
Understanding your Travel Motives is a big step towards discovering how to increase your Travel Bliss (at home and away).
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