How Domestic Travel Can Change Your Life

You don’t have to fly all the way to Bali or Paris to experience the transformation that lies within travel. Though international travel offers an endless array of culture at every corner, let’s not forget about the corners of our home country that wait patiently to be explored.

It’s no secret around here that travel has been the catalyst for deeper meaning and transformation in my life and along my self discovery journey. You can dig into my archives a bit or read any of my Instagram posts @ChelseaDinen to read more about my story.

As an American who’s traveled internationally, I can honestly say that driving across the United States (six times!) has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life thus far. (Again, follow along on Instagram as I’m currently driving cross country.) But it’s not just that cross country road trip. It’s the solo trips I took to Seattle and Portland, the trips I took with my parents to San Francisco and Vermont, the trips with colleagues to Alabama and Wisconsin, and the trips with friends to Boston, Miami, and Montana.

There’s so much to explore domestically. So much to experience just within the space between the Atlantic and Pacific. So, if you’re thinking about taking a trip, especially if it’s a solo one, but you’re overwhelmed by the idea of traveling internationally, I encourage you to explore within this country. At least for now.

It’s a humbling experience for me whenever I explore a new city or town or National Park or historical site within the U.S. Whether it’s getting lost within a bustling city or being completely enamored by the sheer beauty of Mother Nature right here within the United States, I leave every single trip a changed woman.

I think it’s easy to get caught up in the false belief that “real” travel means you have to visit some far off place. There is so much beauty and history to experience right there in your backyard (figuratively speaking!)

Whether you’re driving cross country on a road trip, or simply visiting one city within the U.S., allow yourself to go into it with an open mind and open arms. Allow yourself to be moved by the vastness of the desert, the magnitude of the river, the height of the skyscrapers, the sights, the smells, the tastes right there within your own country. Learn to appreciate all the diversity that makes up these 50 states. You can travel to a different timezone and experience different accents, cuisines, architecture, ecosystems, and history. The people, the stories, the landscapes.

As an East Coast native, I remember the first time I traveled to the American West and saw the mountains and the red rock, I was in awe. In awe that I was still in the same country! I felt like I was on another planet but no, I hadn’t even left the country (or Earth for that matter) and yet I was deeply moved by the beauty I was witnessing. Seeing so much of this country up close and personal has continued to inspire me to get out there and see more of it. In fact, I’ve spent a good portion of the past eight years traveling the U.S. extensively. Because these are the moments that put everything into perspective.

I encourage you, the next time you have the chance to book a vacation… instead of escaping to a resort and lounging by the pool for 5 days, get out there and allow yourself to be moved by the culture within the different towns and cities around you.

I know people who’ve traveled internationally quite extensively and then say, “It’s time to focus on exploring domestically. There’s so much of this country I haven’t seen.” And yet I’ve had conversations with many women who want to embark on their first solo trip but they’re scared and entirely overwhelmed because they feel a sense of pressure that they have to book a flight to the other side of the world, almost as though it “doesn’t count” if they stay within the U.S. So, I’ve written this article to shift the mindset around that.

In the end, it’s about what you’ve experienced.

It’s not some race to see who can collect the most passport stamps.

I’m currently on my sixth cross country road trip/move and yet, I’m still in complete awe. If you’re an American, I can personally speak from experience when I say the U.S. has so much to offer when it comes to travel. We are a diverse nation with diverse people and landscapes and cultures. So, hop on a train, pack up the car, and get out there to explore your own backyard.