Everyone wanting to go everywhere is, quite frankly, unsustainable — for our planet and for our lives.
By Vanita Rao, Saiyyam Arts
Is it realistic to travel with a zero carbon footprint? Probably not — unless you’re a teleporting monk. But it is realistic to travel with some intention: to think twice about our travel volume and how we show up in the places we visit. After all, having an endless bucket list is a threat to the very flora and fauna we travel to see.
Mindful travel doesn’t demand perfection or martyrdom. It’s not about cancelling all vacations forever — it’s about doing our best to tread lightly and thoughtfully on our journeys, without sucking the fun out of them.
Many years ago, when I was on dating apps to find “the one” (and the next best restaurant), I must have swiped through thousands of profiles. If there was one universal cliché, it was “I love to travel!” It was so ubiquitous that it almost stopped meaning anything.
Ironically, I had “travel” in my own bio too. So did my now-husband. But what struck me on my one hundred-ish first dates was that the “travel talk” rarely dug deeper than: Where did you go? What did you eat? How long was the flight?
Almost no one asked: Did hiking that volcano shift your worldview? Or Did your time in New Zealand spark an existential crisis?
Meanwhile, another shift was happening in my life: I became hyper-aware of waste. I started schlepping reusable mugs, plates, and a spoon-fork combo that now has more miles than some airlines. I avoided plastic straws like they were ex-boyfriends. I calculated my flights’ carbon impact, bought offsets, and when possible, chose not to fly at all. For, if my travel was going to leave things to rot for centuries after my body left the planet, how can I live like that?
And then I noticed something else: our social media feeds were looking more like glossy travel brochures than real life. Were we truly enjoying our trips — or just feeding envy to the algorithm?
Too much of anything is bad — even travel. Excessive wanderlust is that compulsive itch to always be somewhere else. It’s less about genuine curiosity and more about escaping ourselves (and maybe our messy kitchen).
Social media hasn’t helped. Our feeds bombard us with stunning drone shots and #wanderlust goals — but rarely the flight delays, the food poisoning, or the deep confusion when you can’t find the right train platform. Travel becomes a trophy hunt instead of an experience.
This “checklist tourism” mindset keeps us chasing the next stamp, the next selfie spot, while the very destinations we love suffer.
Bucket lists sound inspiring until you realize they funnel everyone to the same handful of over-loved places. Just look at the Louvre: it once had to abruptly close its doors to recover from the trampling crowds. Machu Picchu is literally sinking under the weight of tourists.
When millions of us flock to the same iconic landmarks, local ecosystems strain, waste piles up, and communities get displaced or priced out. So maybe that next bucket-list checkmark isn’t a badge of honor — but a reminder to pause.
What if instead of collecting stamps, we collected stories — the deep, slow kind that stick with us long after we’re home?
Let’s be honest: a lot of our desire to travel comes from a perfectly curated social media feed. One minute you’re minding your own business, the next you’re googling flights to a treehouse in Bali because a stranger made it look magical.
But those posts never show the mosquito bites, the missed trains, or the fact that you still feel like you (just sweatier) on the other side of the world.
Mindful travel asks us to be present, curious, and okay with things not looking like a Pinterest board. The real magic is rarely the photo op (and this is coming from a photographer!) it’s the unplanned conversations, the tiny street you wandered down by accident, or the realization that you can be at home anywhere when you’re at home with yourself. (Google this: miracle of mind)
It’s natural to have goals: promotions, savings, travel dreams. But if we’re not careful, the goalpost keeps moving. That endless chase leaves us perpetually restless.
What if, when you reach the milestone — the big trip, the full passport, the corner office — you just pause? Sit in it. Breathe. Ask: What brings me peace? Who am I beyond all these checkmarks?
Sometimes the most radical adventure isn’t booking another flight — it’s learning to be still. (Google this: inner engineering)
Okay, so you’re still going to travel, and as am I, but better. There are hundreds if not thousands of blogs on sustainable travel, so we’re not going to detail everything but here’s something to get you started: A few ways to tread more lightly:
✨ Plan smarter: Avoid overcrowded places and peak seasons.
✨ Choose greener ways to get there: Take a train when you can. Offset flights if you must fly.
✨ Stay sustainably: Book eco-lodges or hotels that walk the talk.
✨ Move mindfully: Walk, bike, or hop on local buses instead of renting cars.
✨ Respect nature: Leave no trace. Don’t be that tourist who feeds wildlife Doritos.
✨ Cut the waste: BYO water bottle, cutlery, and bags. Plastic is so last decade.
✨ Support local: Eat local food, buy local art, tip well. Travel should enrich the place you visit, not drain it.
Travel can still be magical. Just remember — the best trips don’t leave behind a trail of trash and carbon, but do leave behind deep connections and lessons that build your human experience.
So yes, go see the world. But don’t collect places like Pokémon cards. Collect moments that make you kinder, stories that grow your empathy, and pauses that remind you that “here” is always enough.
Happy travels. And, happy pauses.
Need help staying mindful?
I made this one-page, printable 2-in-1 Travel Checklist you can use for every trip. It’ll help you pause, reflect, and avoid falling into the passport stamp trap.
📩 Want to see everything I consider? Email me: vanita@saiyyam.com
If you liked this piece, you might enjoy my art that sparks conversation too — check it out here!
