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Having spent much of the last couple of years moving around (a lot) within Canada thanks to my remote job, I recently got to thinking about how much money I’ve spent on travel in the last six or so years. The money I saved allowed me to spend six months travelling in Cambodia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand (with a more strict emphasis on budget travel for the last two) and then move to Western Canada and survive until I was able to find a new job. You won’t make money, but you get a chance to experience living and working with locals while living for free for the most part. I spent some time every day or two and pretty much broke even while traveling through Ecuador and Peru on a budget of around $30 USD per day (depending on how much time I put in each week).

I felt like writing a quickie post today to help you pace your hikes and scrambles, whether you just got into hiking or have never really found a way to truly enjoy it. I know I’m not alone in this, while still acknowledging a great deal of my time is spent thinking about food. It’s happened to me many times before, especially while hiking or scrambling on some highly trafficked routes: another hiker starts off at a quick pace, one that they can’t maintain, and they end up taking frequent rests that last up to several minutes. This isn’t a breakthrough by any means, but going a bit slower than you think you need to can help mentally and physically when you are new to the whole hiking and/or scrambling thing.

Maybe you’re like me: well-aware of the benefits of meditation, regularly exposed to positive remarks about its life-changing impacts, and yet unable to maintain a solid practice. Of course exercise is good for your mental health, but I find that running (or walking) gives me a chance to zone out and let my mind go empty. I’ll add a couple of caveats: 1. Safety is a priority of course, and if you’re running in highly trafficked areas you need to remain aware and conscious of what’s happening around you; and 2. This may fall into the realm of meditation, but it’s something you may find easier to incorporate into your life.

That said, when the travel lifestyle is traded for a set routine, suddenly a lot of time spent on travel is freed up. Of course it feels like you should choose where you live based on where the best opportunities are for you, but choosing to live in a remote area for a high-paying job when you aren’t happy living in remote areas is not a good plan for most of us. Paid vacation is a beautiful thing, but if you’ve only got 2-3 weeks per year, maybe it’s time to consider taking an extra week or two unpaid. Maybe you change your path, or maybe you decide that simply knowing you have the choice is enough to finally embrace the life you’re living right now.