Travel can change in later life. There may be less need to rush through a checklist and more freedom to simply notice where you are.
That’s the idea behind The Vagabond’s Way, a travel philosophy from writer Rolf Potts that encourages curiosity, conversation and leaving space for the unexpected.
And you don’t need to cross the world to practise it. Sometimes travelling differently simply means slowing down enough to see a familiar place with fresh eyes.
Recommendation
The Vagabond’s Way by Rolf Potts
Part travel book, part philosophy of life, The Vagabond’s Way explores how travelling slowly and independently can create richer experiences. It’s a lovely read for anyone wondering how travel might add more curiosity, meaning and adventure to later life.
Watch This
The Vagabond’s Way: Tactics for Immersive Travel, Pilgrimages, and More from Rolf Potts
Hear Rolf Potts explore the thinking behind The Vagabond’s Way, including immersive travel, curiosity and why some of the most meaningful journeys begin when we stop trying to control every moment.
Quick bites
Leave something unplanned. On your next trip, keep a morning or afternoon completely open and see where curiosity takes you.
Slow down. Spending longer in fewer places can give you more opportunities for conversations, routines and unexpected discoveries.
Look closer to home. You can practise being a traveller in your own town by visiting somewhere unfamiliar and giving it your full attention.
Follow people, not just attractions. A recommendation from a local can often lead to a more memorable experience than another stop on the sightseeing list.
Let the journey matter too. Not every trip needs to be about reaching the next destination as quickly as possible.
Final thoughts
Perhaps one of the gifts of travelling later in life is that there’s less pressure to prove how much you managed to see.
You can linger. Change your plans. Follow an interesting road. Have a conversation with someone you might never meet again.
The destination still matters. But sometimes the richest part of the journey is everything you didn’t plan.
Regards,
Johann
“The value of travel is not just where it takes us, but how it changes the way we see.”
