Most people don’t realise this, but how you travel often mirrors how you live.
In my workshops on financial wellness and intentional living, I often speak about mindset — how it shapes our relationship with money, time, freedom, and even our sense of possibility. Recently, a casual conversation with a friend brought this lesson into sharp focus.
He doesn’t travel much. And when he does, his experiences are limited to iconic landmarks and tourist checklists. To him, travel is expensive, overwhelming, and reserved for “other people.” What struck me wasn’t just how he travelled — but how narrowly he experienced life when he did.
That conversation inspired this reflection.
Because the difference between a tourist and a traveller isn’t about budget, destinations, or passport stamps.
It’s about mindset.
The Tourist Mindset: Escaping Life
I’ll admit it — I didn’t start out as a traveller either.
In fact, I was once a full-on tourist.
I still remember my first trip to Cape Town in 2013. It was my first flight, my first “proper” holiday, and I was doing all the right things: staying in a fancy apartment, visiting Robben Island, wine tasting, riding the cable car up Table Mountain. I had a permanent smile on my face — and a packed itinerary.
Looking back, I was chasing escape.
There’s a line from A Tourist’s Guide that captures this perfectly:
“Tourists want to escape life. A traveller wants to experience it.”
At the time, travel was my reward for surviving life back home. I planned obsessively, filled every hour with activities, and measured the success of the trip by how much I could tick off — and post online.
The result?
I returned home exhausted.
Inspired… but disconnected.
Entertained… but unchanged.
I had seen places — but I hadn’t really experienced them.
When Travel Becomes a Performance
Many of us fall into the tourist trap without realising it.
We:
- Over-plan itineraries
- Chase landmarks instead of moments
- Experience destinations through camera lenses
- Measure value by how busy the trip was
And often, we approach travel the same way we approach money and life — rushing, consuming, and constantly trying to “get our money’s worth.”
That’s when I realised something important:
My travel mindset needed to change — not my destinations.
The Traveller Mindset: Experiencing Life
A traveller’s mindset is rooted in curiosity, presence, and intention.
It’s the belief that:
- Travel is possible and accessible
- Experiences matter more than checklists
- You don’t need to go far to go deep
- Growth happens when you allow space
To embrace this mindset, you first have to believe you are worthy of meaningful experiences — and then be willing to allocate resources (time, money, energy) to create them.
Not recklessly.
But intentionally.
This is where travel and financial wellness intersect.
When you stop seeing travel as an escape and start seeing it as an extension of how you want to live, your decisions change — how you save, how you plan, how you spend, and what you prioritise.
How to Cultivate the Traveller Mindset (Without Leaving the Country)
You don’t need an international flight to become a traveller.
Start where you are.
- Explore a new part of your city
- Visit a museum, festival, or cultural event
- Try a restaurant outside your usual comfort zone
- Go on solo dates
- Say yes to unfamiliar experiences
- Spend time observing instead of rushing
The traveller mindset is about how you show up, not where you go.
Too many people believe travel is reserved for a select few — something to do “one day,” when money, time, and life finally align. But the truth is, mindset comes before movement.
When you shift how you experience the unfamiliar, everything changes — including how you relate to money, freedom, and yourself.
Travel as a Practice of Becoming
At its best, travel isn’t about escape.
It’s about:
- Learning
- Unlearning
- Seeing yourself reflected in the world
- Becoming more present, patient, and open
When you travel as a traveller, not a tourist, you stop chasing moments for validation and start collecting experiences that quietly shape who you are.
And that mindset?
It doesn’t end when the trip does.
Ready to Travel Differently?
👉 Explore more at www.tkaynthebe.com
👉 Follow @tkay_nthebe across platforms
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter for weekly reflections
Travel gently. Spend consciously. Become deliberately.
About Escapes with TKay
Escapes with TKay explores the intersection of finance, travel, and becoming — offering practical money insights, honest travel storytelling, and reflections on designing a life of intention, freedom, and sustainability.
Comments 2