Travel Philosophy
TRAVELLER (NOUN): ONE THAT GOES ON A TRIP OR JOURNEY
I used to have the peculiar belief that one had to collect a sufficient number of stamps in their passport to bear the true title of a traveller.
But, much to my surprise, I discovered that the Merriam-Webster dictionary very simply defines a traveller as:
“One that goes on a trip or journey.”
I also discovered this for myself a few years ago, when my husband and I sold everything and ventured forth into the enormously exciting, yet scary unknown, with our little, mobile house (aka caravan) trailing behind us, and the wondrously wide-open road before us.
As I like to call it… Our Big Adventure!
So what constitutes “a trip or journey” to make oneself an authentic traveller?
Well, I don’t think you have to collect a myriad of stamps in your passport to be a true traveller. I have very few stamps in mine compared to Dale, and we're both avid travellers.
I think it’s quite simply about getting out there in a spirit of wonder and exploration. This can be locally, right in your ‘backyard’, exploring a place you’ve never seen before in your very own province, region, or state, and maybe taking an epic trip through the country you call home.
Whatever and wherever it may be, it’s about the journey and finding wonder and beauty wherever you go, even in the day-to-day, simple things of life.
The word "exploring" also catches my attention: meaning "to travel over new territory, for adventure or discovery." (Another great one, from Merriam-Webster Dictionary!)
And so we come to our unique conclusion as part of our travel philosophy, that:
We’re all travellers in the adventure of life, no matter where or how far we go!
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But, why the Name Souls Free? Great question!
Well, Dale came up with the idea, one crisp, wintery day in June in a quaint seaside village called Pennington—along South Africa’s beautiful sunshine coast. We were sipping freshly brewed coffee in our caravan tent and were at the very dawn of our brand-new journey.
While we were pondering some ideas and core concepts for our blog, Dale suddenly said, “How about Souls Free?"
It struck a chord with me instantly! The more I said it, the more it grew on me and resonated with our travel concepts. “Yes, I love it! It’s perfect.” And so it was decided.
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J.R.R. Tolkien also puts it so perfectly in one of my favourite quotes:
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.”
Since embarking on our adventure, the reality is we’ve never felt more found and rooted than since we started this journey.
And so the name Souls Free perfectly encapsulates our travel philosophy:
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External freedom: That the soles of our feet would never stop moving and exploring, taking us into new and exciting adventures.
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Internal freedom: That our souls would find freedom in the wonder and beauty of all that’s around us—through the incredible people we meet, the places we see, the experiences we have, and the wonder of nature. And that through it all, we'd grow deeper in our relationship and walk with Jesus Christ—where all, true freedom and hope is found.
To many our way of life may seem very odd (to tell you a little secret, I thought I was crazy, too, at the very beginning), but the more I stepped outside my comfort zone, the more I discovered how adventurous I truly was!
Life is too short to waste on seeking trivial things that don't bring true meaning or joy, such as wealth, success, or material comforts. And so, we took another path, choosing to fill our lives and souls with a rich treasure of meaningful memories and unique adventures together along the way.
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No matter how far you wander into and explore the world around you from your front door, Souls Free Travel is here to inspire you and awaken the explorer within you.
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Do you have a trip you’ve always longed to do?
A particular bucket-list adventure or travel dream knocking on your door?
Perhaps there’s an epic road trip with a golden, majestic view eagerly awaiting you on the other side?
Well, it might just be the perfect time for you to embark on your very own adventure—either as a super brave, solo traveller or starting to explore the world around you with those you love?
And so we invite you to join us on our journey, and a journey of your very own!
If you’re living in or originally from South Africa, may you fall in love with this gorgeous country and be inspired to explore it. And if you’re from an entirely different corner of the globe, may you be inspired to be the traveller or epic explorer you’ve always desired to be.
Let the soles of your feet bring you into the most incredible adventures, and let your soul find rest and freedom in all the wonder and beauty that surrounds you.
Let the travelling begin!
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P.S. My incredibly talented sister, Amy-Lee Williams designed our Souls Free logo. To authentically represent our travel philosophy, she used our actual footprints in the design (my one foot and Dale's one foot)! How cool is that!?
If you ever need a professional logo designer or artist to bring your vision to life, do yourself a huge favour and check out her work and get in touch with her! She's amazing at what she does.