Trust Your Instincts: Follow Your Nose Travel

The nose knows the beach is best / Photo: oblivion head

Recent studies in the world of nutrition have found that our nose knows what foods are best for us.

Our taste preferences for certain foods actually begin with how they smell, and researchers have found these preferences may be linked to the nutritional value of the food.

Not sure how McDonald’s fits into this scenario. But the idea of following your nose for the health benefits led me to ponder about what it might mean to follow your nose when it comes to travel.

No, I don’t think you can smell your way to the best locale of the moment. Yet, what connects the idea of following your nose when it comes to both food and travel is basic intuition. It’s the belief that our bodies know best, or at least a whole lot better than our brains do.

Instinct and intuition aren’t exactly the same thing, but they can both fall into the category of showing up as that first “hit.” This is the hit we often play down once we begin to think about the pros and cons of an issue.

So, what if you decided to follow the first hit you have about where you want to travel next, and stop yourself from going through the pros and cons process? You hop on Hotwire to find a last minute cheap hotel in that town you’ve been wanting to visit, or you log on to Couchsurfing and email a few people to see if they have an open spot.

Maybe Craigslist has a cheap vacation rental, or even a trade. If none of those pan out, you know it’s not meant to be. Or you throw the tent in the car, hit the supermarket to fill your cooler with food and ice, and just take off.

This may be easier to do starting with say, a day trip out of town, but who knows? That day trip may lead you to an overnight, a week away, or to becoming a complete travel vagabond.

Or you may end up back at home because you kind of have work and a family to take care of, and that’s perfectly fine, too.

Yes, it’s a bit of traveling without a plan, but it might just lead you to exactly where you are supposed to be.

Do you think follow your nose travel is a viable option? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

See how following her instincts led to amazing travels in Emily Hansen’s piece, Reflections From A Female Solo Traveler. Experience the taste of travel freedom in Carlo Alcos’ article, Why You Should Travel Independently on the Trans Siberian Railway.