Mindful travel on a budget (Muslim Edition)
You might have noticed lately that I added a new tag line to this travel website:
Muslim millennial travelling and living mindfully on a budget
I just wanted to unpack it for you and explain why exactly I chose that and what it means to me.
Who is the Muslim millennial?
It’s me. It’s everyone who was born from 1982 to 1996 (can include the ones who are born in the 2000 as well since they are 18 now!) The date range can be different based on research centres, but that’s how I see it as well. The Muslim millennial is whoever that was born in that date range and is also Muslim (lol not ground breaking I know, but that answers you if you were wondering). Muslims in general have their own little interests and requirements and since that’s who I am, I finally gave in to the reality that Muslim travellers are different and that’s who mostly read my blog for help and advice. Other people from other faiths/no faiths are absolutely welcome too since I actually mostly write about general travels.
If you want something extra to read specifically about Muslim Millennial, then read this detailed Travel Report from 2017
Isn’t budget travel hard?
No. It’s actually great!
When I started this blog in 2014, I wanted to share my travels because I really enjoyed documenting them with taking endless photos, making notes and now filming my new surroundings. When I went on my first solo trip to Spain, I decided that’s what I was going to keep on doing. Now four years later, I am still doing it. I actually don’t mind where I end up visiting as I tell my friends “the world is my bucket list”. I just check whatever budget destination that’s close by.
My income is very limited and it’s a mix of my student scholarship support, the art workshops I teach and some freelance videos and blog posts that I do for. It is a modest income, but I am privileged enough to have that *alhamdulilah*. So travelling on a budget is important to me. Additionally, I am not really fan of luxurious travel because it limits a lot of people’s travel experiences. Life is expensive especially if you are living in a big city (ahem London) so travelling is an added expense and waiting to save enough for a luxurious holidays will take a good while. I don’t think being on a budget is hard or limiting. You seriously can do so much if you are aware of your budget and you do prior planning. This explains the budget part of my tagline, but now let’s talk about mindfulness and what I mean by mindful travel.
Why do I care about mindful travelling & Living?
Travellers can be categorised by their travel style and the things they see and do. Travel bloggers are trying to define themselves and their blogs by staying in specific categories and niches. I am sure you have seen bloggers that are writing about backpacking, adventures, luxury, stylish travel and so on. I examined these categories in an attempt to find who I am as a traveller and what I help people with, I figured that I fall into the mindful travel category. I didn’t realise that’s what I was doing! I was travelling slowly trying to be sustainable, aware of my consumption and respectful of everyone’s culture and practices. Behold, this is considered mindful travel!
Mindfulness means being aware, present and conscious.
“Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” (Mindful.org, 2018).
Being mindful is something you tell yourself to do and just naturally get used to because it is emphasising on how we already live as humans and I think the older I get, the more mindful of things I become. I think of more of my surroundings and my impact on them.
* Mindfulness promotes subjective well-being, empathy and clarification of values.
* Subjective well-being, empathy, and intrinsic values can lead to more sustainable behavior.
* Promoting mindfulness could be construed as a policy that contributes both to sustainability and to greater well-being.
(Source: Ericson, Kjønstad & Barstadc, 2014).
I feel like being mindful, grateful and aware is also an Islamic concept. I feel like some of these things have been rooted in my upbringing and the Islamic books I have read. Mindfulness is also an important part of the Islamic prayer, where we slow down and be in the presence of God aware of all his blessings.
Strategies for Concentrating In Prayer
How to be a Mindful Muslim: An Exercise in Islamic Meditation
I hope my reasoning and attention are clear because that’s the direction the blog is going to be heading. There won’t be major changes, but there will be a few more posts on this in the future. Hope you enjoy this journey with me.