Is it Travel You Want, or is it Freedom? – Why Are We Still Doing That?

Do you want to travel or do you want the FREEDOM to travel?

In a culture that prizes the "standard script," we often defer our dreams of travel and freedom until we reach a traditional retirement age. In this episode, we break down why waiting decades to "own your time" is an outdated tradition and how you can begin building a life you don't need a break from right now.

From eavesdropping on dinner conversations about travel to confronting the "vacation flex" in hotel lobbies, this episode explores the mindset shifts required to prioritize exploration and autonomy. Whether you are feeling constrained by a 9-to-5 or simply lack the imagination to see a different path, learn why the ability to design your own lifestyle is one of the most fulfilling moves you can make.

Onward and Inward,

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CHAPTERS:

• (00:00) Why are we still doing that?

• (01:00) Mind Share: The "Retirement Script" and dinner eavesdropping

• (07:37) Defining growth: Inner evolution vs. relentless capitalism

• (10:50) The "Template" Trap: Choosing your path vs. following a ghost

• (13:38) Hotel Lobbies and Laptops: The reality of working from anywhere

• (18:38) The "Gateway Drug": Is travel really about the destination?

• (22:50) Performing vs. Authenticity: Do you actually want a non-traditional life?

• (29:25) Worth the Time: Why travel is still the ultimate mind-expander

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Control Over Destination: Most people who say they want to travel actually want to control their time and pursue their curiosities.

• The Examined Template: Living a traditional life is perfectly fine, provided it is a conscious choice rather than an unexamined default.

• Imagination as a Skill: Exposure to different cultures and ways of living acts as a "drug" for the imagination, helping you see possibilities beyond the standard model.

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Kent

Almost everyone says, I want to travel the world, but usually they don't just want to see the new places. They want to own their time. They want to feel free and relaxed the way we do when we're on a trip. Today, we're talking about why we wait for a vacation to feel this way. We want to show you how to find that sense of freedom right where you are without waiting for a trip to start your life. Welcome to the No Vacation Required podcast, where we break down tired traditions and outdated thinking by asking the question, why are we still doing that? It's all about building a life you don't need a break from, being more present and fulfilled, and showing up in a complicated world that needs your voice and unique talents.

Caanan

It's time for mindshare. So Kent, I seed the floor.

Kent

And my mind share has probably never been more, uh, closely aligned with the topic of the episode. Okay. Because that's often the way this goes.

Caanan

Yeah, that tends to be how it happens now.

Kent

We are motivated by what happens to us out in the world. And actually this episode, as we've been doing so much lately, is kind of a reflection of what we've seen in all facets of our world. recently, and this is probably the biggest one for us, people saying, uh, I want to travel as much as you do, or I want to travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel. And, uh, so it's been on my mind so much about how we were out to dinner recently.

Caanan

Right.

Kent

And there were two couples sitting near us talking to each other. And one couple was saying something about, you traveling a lot, you know, over the last year, which of course caught our attention. So we started eavesdropping, pretending that we were so engrossed in our honey garlic rolls.

Caanan

Oh, that sounds good.

Kent

Yeah, but the other couple stopped the couple and was like, wait, how are you, how are you traveling? You've got to be retired, right? And the couple said, well, of course we're, we're retired. How else? How else would one travel this much?

Caanan

Yeah.

Kent

And oh my gosh, listener, Canon and I looked at each other as if we came from a different planet and were delusional thinking, wait, people are still following this script. You know, we think that our, our script is a little tired. We didn't invent working remotely. We didn't invent doing your own thing. We tried to stay humble that way. Like, you know, we're not living some high and mighty lifestyle. Um, we're living a rare lifestyle and a very rare version of a lifestyle, but we don't own the rights. Right. So when we, when we hear these attitudes, listening to this couple, these couples talk next to us and the big. breath and aha and okay, now you can go on with your story was level setting that this couple that had been traveling had been retired. Okay, now this makes sense. Keep going. Keep telling us about your travels. So yeah, on my mind, that's the episode. This is on my mind so much right now because, uh, well, we've developed a whole episode prompted by this and, and other feedback and things that have come into our life recently, just people still want this and talk about this, and they follow this model that they think is the only model available. What do you think? I know we talked about this a lot. How did that strike you?

Caanan

It's not surprising to me that people still follow this model, you know, because it is the model. You and I are the outlier. But to your point, we didn't create the idea of, of working from anywhere. The kind of lifestyle we're living is unique to us, but it's not altogether unique. It's talked about for a long time now. Just not a lot of people can pull it off. But I think it's kind of shocking that the, the lack of creativity in these people's viewpoint that they just couldn't understand that there was any way somebody could travel a lot unless they were retired and they couldn't even like hear these people out until they had this dilemma figured out.

Kent

This is the part where mindshare basically starts to turn into an episode if we don't stop ourselves. Yes. But I really want to jump in here and say something about this. Having this experience, you and I, made me think so much about the people we surround ourselves with. And I want to do more talking about this, like people spending time with people who are exactly like them, right?

Caanan

Right.

Kent

Like this couple talking about travel became a safe space because, okay, yeah, they're retired. We get them. I think that's part of it too. You're just in these communities and feeds and chat groups and scary neighborhoods where everybody's doing the exact same thing. It came when I said scary neighborhoods.

Caanan

I'm laughing at scary neighborhoods because you're not talking about Pleasantville.

Kent

Yeah. Yeah. And I think, I think I'm so grateful that we expose ourselves in content, in relationships, in everything, in where we live with a lot of different viewpoints and perspectives. It's something we pride ourselves a lot on in general. And it's hard for me not to be sitting at that dinner thinking. How sad.

Caanan

Yeah.

Kent

How sad. Because, you know, the, the people who, I think they were about to retire, they were on the cusp of what this other couple had. It was just this yearning and we're almost there. And, you know, they've already got like the gray hair and the mobility issues and it's like, oh wow, you are just now at the dawn. of thinking you can live your life.

Caanan

This month we're talking about growth. So if you're new here, I want to clarify that this is not hustle to earn more growth. It's definitely not relentless growth. You know, the growth that capitalism dictates that is really the definition of cancer. What we're talking about is inner growth, as we always do. Inner growth that helps you see the world as it is and get to what you really want. But we've got a little spin on the topic this month. We want to help you go deeper than the surface ideas of growth that are good, but maybe they're not as thought out as they could be. We want to do this so that you can get Closer to an authentic, more fulfilled version of yourself.

Kent

Yeah, and I love this because we're on this little trajectory. January, we were talking about what we called foundations and seeds, and in February we talked about stirrings. Then we talked about balance, and now we're talking about growth.

Caanan

Yeah.

Kent

And it's the season for growth. It's actually almost the season for growth. What I find interesting about this theme and what I'm so excited about is Harkening back to our mindshare moment.

Caanan

Yeah.

Kent

And how I keep thinking the world has grown past this thinking, this kind of limited thinking about life. And once again, I think we have to insert our disclosure. I can't remember why, I think it was a few months ago we had to do a big, I don't know, explanation like. The templated way is fine.

Caanan

Oh, yeah. We had a reader email somebody saying that we were essentially not being kind to people who are living more templated versions of their life. And we said, no, the templated version is fine as long as you're examining it, as long as you're choosing

Kent

that.

Caanan

And most people aren't examining it and choosing it. If you want to go with the template, as long as you choose to go with it, that's great if it works for you.

Kent

And here's what we know, even hearkening back, hadn't even thought of this, hearkening back to our mindshare conversation, that couple, talking to the couple that traveled a lot because they were retired, couldn't imagine a different way. Wish we could have done this sooner. We know in our experience that so many people crave a different way and they don't even know there's a different way because they choose not to think outside of the template, which is why we're talking about growth this month and why we're talking about this specifically. Um, we've just been in a lot of situations recently interacting with a lot of people, a lot of time traveling, and it really Struck us much like this dinner conversation we eavesdropped on over garlic honey rolls. Oh man, that's its own mind share. I'm thinking of those garlic honey rolls. Uh, it's always the travel and it's always that way. Uh, for us, uh, talking to some people we had met about wanting to do a longer European adventure that would take a couple weeks and just. being so constrained by their work. And that's a dream I have for someday. And all of these things, which is like, yeah, we all have to do things, you know, that we don't want to do and parameters and we've talked so much about

Caanan

that life requires us to do some things that don't, yeah, that we don't dream of doing.

Kent

Yeah. Uh, but travel, and when we talk about travel and having been places, you know, although we think the world has changed so much in a couple decades, and it certainly has in a lot of ways, people will look at us like we invented the light bulb or something like, wait, how could you have done this? And it's funny how we find ourselves in experiences where even though we are well into middle age, we are the youngest or almost youngest, and often by far the youngest in the spaces we occupy because we're doing things that younger people, middle-aged people like us want to be doing, but it's not what their parents told them or would they believe to be true.

Caanan

Yeah. I think it's, uh, Funny. Well, first off, I have to say, if, if you're not familiar with our story, I'll just keep it real short. We have traveled a lot. It is central to our story and it's one of the reasons we built the life we created, the no vacation required life we created. It's a core tenet of that was our ability to see the world.

Kent

So exploration.

Caanan

Yes.

Kent

Exploration.

Caanan

Exploration.

Kent

Was the guiding word. Yeah.

Caanan

Yeah. So if you don't know this about us, we have seen a lot of the world and we're very proud of it. But Ken, to your point in the mind share and what you were just talking about, when we talk about these podcast episodes or even talk about telling new people about our life or what we do, we always forget. that it is a mind breaker, the life we've created. Because we always think, as you just said, oh, everybody knows about whatever you want to call it, lifestyle design or breaking the mold or doing something different. Now, they may not feel that they can do that, or they may have chosen not to do that, but the very concept of designing a life where you can be more aligned with who you are and do work that is fulfilling. We don't think this is new information to anybody. Well, it turns out, as you just said, it absolutely is new to a lot of people.

Kent

So it makes me think, what do people really want? To bring another story, this happens Do we ever, are we ever out in public, particularly traveling, when this doesn't happen? We are in recently, many times in the hotel lobby at some weird, you know, quote unquote, weird time of the day with our computers, right? Oh God.

Caanan

I know we're with this. Yes.

Kent

Yes. Somebody or a group of people or a couple thinks that we're the suckers and they're like, why you guys got those laptops out now? You're in Miami.

Caanan

You're on vacation.

Kent

Yeah, you're in Miami. What's going on? You know, and usually we try to be nice and just, blow it off like, oh gosh, life is so tough. Have a great day, sir. But they'll persist in their pride. And it's like, yeah, no, we just kind of do this a lot of the time and we're able to then, one of our big things is seeing a lot of the world and just trying to make the world a better place. And then they get curious, right? Like, well, what do you mean seeing a lot of the world? It's like, oh, well, we travel. quite a bit. Well, how much do you travel? You, and then it starts that, and then this person has the look like, oh God, I came over here as a big flex, right? Yeah. To school these guys, and now I'm leaving feeling like crap because yeah, there's a different way to look at existence. And, and one thing that I don't know. One thing that just surprises me is I love how we lava lamp weave in and out of, you know, we're doing a little bit of work.

Caanan

Oh yeah.

Kent

A little bit of nature, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I love it. And we are so ingrained in this lifestyle, our no vacation required lifestyle, that I know I've puffed myself up into it and normalized it so much, but I can't imagine being gone for three weeks or two weeks or even a week and not wanting to work on that project I've got started because we've had several great conversations and it's pushing this project I want to lean into forward.

Caanan

Yes.

Kent

It's fulfilling to me to be in our hotel lobby at two in the afternoon. taking a break from whatever we're doing and taking a couple hours of, we call it project time to, to, you know, work on the things we each have going on. It's, it's part of this great interwoven.

Caanan

Yes. This is the dream. This is fundamentally no vacation required.

Kent

No vacation required. This is preach.

Caanan

Yes. Everything. all of the time, all at once. It's not taking a break from your life. So when those people come up and say, you guys gonna be on those laptops your entire vacation? And we're like, oh, actually, no, we, you know, we can work from anywhere in the world. And so we get to travel a lot.

Kent

Yes.

Caanan

We actually, we really enjoy this. And then, you know, the crestfallen face is like, what do you mean? This is the goal. And certainly it's the goal for us. And I think it's the goal for most people. But I want to get back to that point that what ultimately happens is we say, oh, yeah, no, we can travel, you know, all over the world as much as we want, really. People will say, oh, man, I want to do that. I want to be able to travel all the time. And what I always think and what you and I can always talk about is that is also, there's a kind of a lack of imagination in that. And I'm not trying to denigrate the idea of wanting to travel all the time. That's great. It's what we wanted to do. It's what got us into this place. But, you know, it was the gateway drug. But what I think people really want, and if they could examine that thought, I want to travel, more all the time is what they really want is to control their time in the way that you and I can control our time and the freedom to pursue their curiosities. Oh, I want to go hiking. Let's go hiking. I want to work on a project. Let's work on a project.

Kent

Exactly right.

Caanan

Yeah. I'm kind of laughing to myself because you and I, Kent, we have some work to do in a very specific area, and that is that we kind of think everybody is way down the path that we're on. They're not where we are. That's why we have this podcast. That's why our life is interesting enough to talk about. But everybody can see the path, whether or not they're walking it.

Kent

Yeah, you're being way too kind. You know, that's more a me problem than a you problem. I come up with some complicated next level idea. And you're like, Kent, I'm like, people are still sitting next to us at dinner. not imagining how they can take more than two weeks of vacation before they're retired. I'm like, oh yeah, okay, I got to put that idea to the side. Yeah, we're not there yet. So I so hear what you're saying. Yes.

Caanan

Yes.

Kent

Backing up, realizing that as much movement as we think there's been for all the right reasons. Again, we did not invent virtual work. We did, however, invent a no vacation required life.

Caanan

And we did, I want to give us our own flowers. Like we did do that before virtual work was even a big thing.

Kent

Yeah.

Caanan

I always laugh because it was called telecommuting.

Kent

Telecommuting. Beep boop. Okay, yeah, no, I like where you're going, so keep going.

Caanan

Well, I kind of lost my thread though. What was I saying? Oh yeah, that you and I have work to do because we think people are far along the path and they're not. This is still a very novel idea. So what I wanted to say here is if this is blowing your mind, or even if it's just intriguing to you, I want you to start thinking about what can I do to start feeling more free.

Kent

Yeah, a hundred percent. Like when, when, when we were talking about these episodes for this, this batch of episodes, again, we were so motivated and inspired. We always look for inspiration, you know, in what's happening around us. Like, okay, this is what we need to talk about. this idea, this trope, I want to travel the world. I want to travel like you. It's not even really a trope. It's a trope, but it's also the truth. That to me, that to us, that's freedom.

Caanan

Yeah, exactly.

Kent

It may not be travel for you. Weirdly, it's one of those things, like we rarely meet people who don't want to travel.

Caanan

No, that's the, that is the dream of the planet. That is, like I said earlier, the gateway drug.

Kent

Yeah.

Caanan

And it makes sense. It makes perfect sense.

Kent

But you're right. The question you're asking people to pose is about Feeling more free. Freedom.

Caanan

Yes.

Kent

And getting honest about what's standing in my way? What am I putting in my way to keep this from happening? And I also, I want to go back to the words we just put around the templated life and how there's nothing wrong with that. And there is nothing wrong with that. I also think in a reverse twist, it's okay if actually That's what you want. You want what your parents had. You want what your grandparents had. All that sounds very safe and embodied. Like, that's a possibility too. And let that be your version of freedom.

Caanan

Oh, yeah.

Kent

And for you, it's about unclouding your mind with what others are doing and what you're seeing on the internet, how you think other people are living. Stand tall and proud in your wanting to stick to this path that may have been genuinely appealing to you. But I think what we want for people in general, regardless of your mindset, is getting that mental clutter out of your way.

Caanan

Get really clear on what it is you want and get creative with how you can achieve it. You know, if you're right now thinking, yeah, but I just want to travel the world, that's great. You know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Is that the Freud saying? Like, that's okay. Maybe you just really do want to travel, but you use that as an entry point, at least poke at it, you know, stick a stick at it and say, Is there something more here? Is my desire to travel actually an underlying desire to control my time?

Kent

Yeah. During our last segment break, you used the word, you just, yeah, I just want to, I want to find the right way. I want to, I want to find the right way to get to people beyond our, you know, loved ones and client base to unfurl their imagination.

Caanan

Yes.

Kent

Use your imagination. It's there.

Caanan

Oh, I have to just add something because it just pops into my head.

Kent

Yeah, add it.

Caanan

I think wanting to travel is an authentic goal for most people. It certainly was for us. But I also, when you're sticking that stick at it and saying, is there more to this desire? Also look at it and say, do I want to travel? for the right reasons. Like, am I just curious about the world? Do I want to explore? Or do I want to travel because this is the model of making it? This is what success looks like. That's such a great point. Because that's a very sort of performative reason for wanting to see the world. And if that's the case, I implore you to look deeper or elsewhere, because that won't be fulfilling.

Kent

Yeah, we've been invoking the word performing lately, and I'm so glad you just said it. Oh, this is what I love about what happens in our world. This is something that's come up a lot, like just this idea of performing and people performing as caring about this or caring about that, or able to do this or that, or wanting this or that. This is kind of why I said, a little bit ago, like actually performing is wanting a non-traditional life, when in fact, I really just want a traditional life.

Caanan

Oh yeah, I love that.

Kent

Like where are you performing and how can you remove the clutter or face the clutter that you're purposely putting in your path in order to do whatever it is that will make you feel free. Canon, what is worth the time as we're talking about freedom.

Caanan

Well, after everything we've said about travel, here's the gag. Worth the time is travel. It just is. I mean, we know you already want to do it. We've asked you to explore. the underlying reasons why you want to travel. Travel is so worth the time.

Kent

Yeah.

Caanan

It's not easy as it's not as easy as it used to be, but it's so mind expanding.

Kent

Yeah.

Caanan

It's so important to get out there and see how other people live and how they move through the world and their cultures. And oh, let me tell you, if you have any notion of American exceptionalism, Go see some other places and you will be shocked at how amazing different countries are and different cultures are and their priorities. And yeah, what do you have to say?

Kent

I know what the, I know why this came up because when you were having that quandary about imagination, like I just, I wish for people imagination where we went with that conversation is talking about how. oh, yeah, how did our imaginations develop and whatever? We both have personality types that are prone to wild imagination. But, um, oh yeah, remember it all goes back to figure out you, who you are. But we realized like, you know what, just going and doing the thing and experiencing it and seeing different parts of the world, that is like a drug for your imagination. Uh, so yeah, go see the place, whether it's in your backyard, a state over or across an ocean, right?

Caanan

Go see the place.

Kent

Yeah. Thanks for listening to the No Vacation Required podcast. For more information, including services designed to help you build a life you don't need a break from, check out novacationrequired.com. And if you found this information helpful, please subscribe.