Jennifer M. Sparks - Slow Travel: Escape the Grind and Explore the World

ADVANCE PRAISE

This book is a must read for any traveler who wants to experience the most enriching kind of travelimmersing yourself in a different culture and letting adventure play out at its own pace. As a woman who spent two years traveling slowly, I know what an incredible collection of tools and tips it will be for those who want to experience the next level in travel. If youre wondering how to make your travel dream a reality, you have only to start with the first chapter.

Michelle Lamphere , Author of The Butterfly Route, Author of Tips for Traveling Overland in Latin America, and travel blogger at SturgisChick.com

Slow Travel is a guide that takes both the heart and the brain into consideration. This book walks the reader through the powerful process of blending ones passion and dreams with concrete, practical actions to transform ones view of life and how it can be lived.

Katie Clancy , Director of Do Good as You Go A global volunteer network of independent travelers, DoGoodAsYouGo.org

I am all for slow travel, and Jennifer breaks it all down for even the most nervous of travelers to comprehend. In her book, Slow Travel, she presents you with easy to follow steps and provides questions so you can determine your why and plan your route. She covers important issues such as budgets and unplugging from your current lifetwo factors that will ensure that things go as smoothly as possible. While you cannot always prepare for every eventuality on a slow travel trip, Jennifer takes out much of the guesswork so you can be as organized as you can possibly be.

Michelle Tupy , Author of An Unexpected Kindness and travel blogger at AndOffWeWent.com

Forty years ago, when I was just starting out on my life as a traveler, taking those first tentative steps into the far reaches of the globe, I had no idea what to expect. I just went, and figured it all out by trial and error. I cant even imagine how much easier it would have beenand how many misadventures I would have avoidedif I had had a book like Slow Travel to guide me, comfort me, and tell me it would all be okay.

Fortunately, for those embarking on their adventure now, that help is right at their fingertips.

Nancy Sathre-Vogel , Author of Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World and travel blogger at FamilyonBikes.org

Escape the

Grind and

Explore the

World

JENNIFER M. SPARKS

NEW YORK

LONDONNASHVILLEMELBOURNEVANCOUVER

Slow Travel

Escape the Grind and Explore the World

2019 Jennifer M. Sparks

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing in partnership with Difference Press. Morgan James is a trademark of Morgan James, LLC. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com

ISBN 978-1-64279-228-7 paperback

ISBN 978-1-64279-229-4 eBook

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910322

Cover & Interior Design by:

Megan Whitney Dillon

Creative Ninja Designs

In an effort to support local communities, raise awareness and funds, Morgan James Publishing donates a percentage of all book sales for the life of each book to Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.

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For Quinn. May you always believe in yourself, know that you are loved, and be able to recognize the beauty and strength in the world around you.

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

S T . A UGUSTINE

G inny remembers the first time she felt it. She was wandering happily through a beautiful resort campground. Large oak and maple trees provided a pleasant canopy of cool shade on an otherwise hot day. The narrow road that she walked upon was empty of cars which made for a very pleasant stroll. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen played over the loud speaker and she found herself singing and dancing along as she walked.

She was 11 years old and was on a weeklong vacation with her family. While the rest of her family was still back at their campsite, Ginny had just come from the daily arts and craft activity for all the kids staying at the resort. As she strolled along the gravel road, she realized an amazing feeling for the first time in her life. She felt an enormous sense of freedom.

She was free to explore the large campground to her hearts content. Free to walk around by herself without her parents. Free to take in the wondrous natural beauty on her own terms. Free to swim in the nearby lake with the new friends that shed met. Free to come and go from her familys camping trailer without the usual barrage of questions that she would get if they were at home. It felt amazing.

Once she had a taste of that freedom, she wanted more of it. She tried to recreate situations like that one, but she found that the feeling of freedom was elusive. Growing up meant more responsibilities that seemed to counter the carefree feeling she sought. Early responsibilitieslike getting good grades in school, doing chores around the house, and taking care of her younger brother and sisterwere soon replaced by studying in college and working 15 hours per week in her part-time job.

Then she was offered a wonderful opportunity. When Ginny was 19, she was invited to spend part of her summer backpacking in Europe with her good friend, Kate. Kate had grown up in the UK and had traveled before, so Ginny agreed to go along even though she had no idea what to expect. She decided that she could use her meager savings from her waitressing job to fund her trip. Her excitement grew as the date of their departure approached.

That trip through Europe opened Ginnys eyes in so many ways. When she didnt know how to speak the local language, she learned how to communicate through smiles and hand gestures. She got comfortable dealing with multiple currencies and found that she got quite good at it. She was astonished to discover how easy it was to meet people and make new friends while traveling. Most importantly, she felt a real sense of freedom.

Ginny and Kate could decide on a whim where they were going to go and what they were going to do. They had Eurail passes so they could jump on the train whenever they wanted. They were able to explore cities and towns throughout England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. They took river boat tours and rented bicycles to explore the countryside. They were free to explore Europe at their own pace.

Occasionally they would amicably split up for an afternoon so they each could do their own thing. Sometimes Ginny would find herself sitting happily on a park bench simply taking in the beauty around her. At other times, she would explore a museum on her own so she could linger when she wanted to and skip sections that didnt appeal to her. It was utter bliss.

After her epic summer in Europe, Ginny returned home and went back to school. She felt forever changed by her trip and discovered that she had more clarity and focus in her life. With renewed energy, she resumed her studies and completed her degree in short order. She landed her dream job as an IT Specialist and started working immediately after graduation. She met Tom through friends at work and they soon started dating. After a whirlwind romance, they decided to get married and had a beautiful wedding ceremony with close family and friends.