Greetings from Austria!
My roundabout journey home continues with a stop in Austria, where I've been doing a little reconnaissance for a potential active / wellness program here.
The idea would be to spend some time next summer looking after ourselves in some of Austria's excellent health spas, and to combine that with some light to moderate hiking in the incomparable freshness of the Alps.
Historically, we haven't done a lot of either active or wellness-focused trips at Wheel & Anchor, but this is something I believe we should remedy for the future.
As it is, most of what we do here is already very future-focused, and further into it than most of us tend to think or plan...but playing the long game is the key to success in the travel business, particularly in the still-heaving post-pandemic world of travel.
As I was hiking it occurred to me that perhaps we should apply the same principle from our trips to our travellers - what would it mean to think about 'the long game' as it relates to the members of our community?
It's never a fun thing to bring up, but without a doubt, the older we get, the health variable increasingly becomes THE determining factor in both the number of trips we can take and the kinds of adventures we can pursue.
We all know we're not supposed to take health for granted, but the effect of having good health is that your awareness is generally directed toward all the wonderful things good health lets you do, and not toward all the negative thoughts and feelings around its absence.
On the whole I think this is 80% the right approach - it would be a terrible waste of one's vitality to spend it thinking too much about losing it. So yes, make hay while the sun shines, smile while you still have teeth, and travel as much as you can while you are able to!
The key is to give proper attention to that other 20% as well, which is where prudence and not taking things for granted comes in. That entails eating healthily, sleeping appropriately, and making sure we're moving and looking after ourselves enough to keep the 80% going full steam.
(These numbers are entirely made up to service my point and most certainly don't qualify as medical advice 🙂
And the key behind the key to that is not treating the two different modes as polarities that must be kept apart, but rather to find a way to blend them into a harmonious flow that gives you the best possible life as a traveller.
This principle we could apply the other way - from our travellers to our trips - and might entail adding more movement and more looking after ourselves on all of our trips, and doing some trips for those specific reasons. In doing so we may just unlock the kind of life-affirming, vitalizing, harmonious flow that travel is at its best, and thus set the stage for more of all the good stuff in the future.
We currently really only have one trip along these lines on our roster, which is our Koh Phangan yoga & wellness program happening in conjunction with our tropical LiveAways in early 2024, but I'm keen to put together more and see if we can extend the harmonious flow to more of our community.
Maybe it's just all this fresh alpine air going to my head, but I do think more active / wellness adventures would benefit us all, and as such I see it as a service that is good for both the individuals and the whole.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter, whether its agreeing or disagreeing, questions or concerns, or places you'd like to actively get into some wellness...do drop me an email should you have any input.
I'll ramble on to trips just briefly here - I'm pleased to release two new programs for 2024 this week, the first the final addition to our little series of Sojourns next Spring, this one to the enchanting island of Corsica, and the second a trip to the charming southwest coast of England in Cornwall & Devon.
I wouldn't call the focus of either along this active / wellness theme, but as it happens both places do offer some great opportunities for walking & hiking. In Cornwall & co we can walk along the best beaches in the UK, while Corsica offers some spectacular mini-Alpine trails that could be explored during our leisure days there.
While both are in some respects 'beach getaway' destinations for our European & English friends, each has its own refreshing vibe, and both offer some really excellent culinary experiences. Do take a look at the itineraries in your newsletter should you be curious.
Lastly, we've got 3 webinars upcoming that you can also find in your newsletter, the first for the aforementioned Corsica trip, followed by two more rather unique trips through France through Provence and the French Riviera and along the iconic Canal du Midi. Join us for pretty pictures and some banter if you're able.
That's all for this week - I trust you're carpe diem-ing your way through July, and stay tuned next week for more adventures for the year ahead.
Cheers!
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