Slow Travel! I have been wandering and traveling at a leisurely pace for over two years now but never really thought of it as slow travel. Then, I came across the term recently and realized that I am part of a bigger trend. Slow travel. I am a small house/slow travel hybrid!

Like the slow food movement, people who adhere to slow travel take a less manic approach. It is no longer about rushing to get on a plane and then, at the destination, rushing through to a long list of sites in a short amount of time. Slow travel is about enjoying the journey, staying in one place and learning more about the local people, culture, history or even the wildlife. It may involve plane travel but can also involve slower transportation, like a train, ferry, car, or anything really. It is not the method of travel so much as the slower, more immersed experience. Not the that anything is wrong with fast travel if that is what you prefer. Or maybe, for some, a combination of fast and slow travel is the right combination.

Why slow travel? Some people, like myself, are innately curious about the world, its landscapes, and its people. Traveling to see things and check them off the bucket list is okay, but I prefer to be immersed, to absorb everything I can about a place. I guess it is a form of life-long learning, where books give a good starting place and then lead to hands-on adventures. 

Slow travel can occur anywhere, in cities, small towns, or the great outdoors. Overseas, across the U.S. or in your home state. I read often about slow travelers cross the globe (i.e, Tales of a Female Nomad), but I also know people who slow travel within more limited geographical areas. One friend has covered two only states in 6 months while traveling in an RV. I, too, love being in my RV or tent camping, as long as I am in nature. I also enjoy being close enough to a small town so that I can interact with people. In Southeast Alaska, Wrangell and Petersburg were the perfect combination of wilderness and small town. Juneau probably was at one time, but with the endless helicopter trips over the glaciers, I didn’t find much peace and quiet!

Right now, I am out and about for many months over the spring/summer/fall but slow travel doesn’t require that much time. Next winter, I will move around a much smaller area.  It is really a frame of mind more than a destination or specific amount of time. Stay in one place for a while! Interact with people. Learn what you can.

On this trip through Canada and Alaska, I have met many types of slow travelers: a young man on a motorcycle traveling for 2 years through the Americas, two young women from Anchorage backpacking through the scenic spots in Alaska, an older couple in an RV taking a route much like my own. I have also met lots of fast travelers passing through this campground in Denali National Park where I am staying for two weeks. I see entire families pull in for an evening and then leave in the morning. Only a few have stayed more than 1 or 2 nights. I don’t mean to judge, fast travel meets their needs at the moment and I understand the desire to just get to a bunch of places. To see it all.

Now, I want to experience it all. I want to observe the wildlife every night. I want to hear the Ranger talks and learn more about the BMWs (bears, moose, wolves) in the park. I want to carefully make my way through the visitor center and actually read all the displays and watch the videos.

As I have already mentioned, I do get bored sometimes. I learn to take more joy and be more present in my daily activities like doing my yoga stretches, cooking, doing laundry, browsing for firewood, walking Tango, and organizing the car or tent. I have some craft projects. However, the longer I stay in one place, the more I structure my day around the local setting. I find libraries, coffee shops, breakfast places and interesting food trucks. After two weeks, sometimes I feel some separation anxiety about departing, as though I am leaving behind a good friend.

I don’t expect to return to New Mexico and my RV until early October so my slow journey continues for many more months (at least that is the plan today). I have a general direction for this journey but am also open as to my exact route. I can’t wait to see what comes next. Thanks for following my slo mo jounrey!