You've finally booked that dream trip to Italy.
A week in Rome, Florence, and Venice. Your itinerary? Jam-packed with ancient ruins, world-famous museums, food tours, a wine tasting in Tuscany, and (because you don’t want to miss anything) a quick detour to the Amalfi Coast.
Instead of feeling excited, you’re… kind of overwhelmed. You can already picture yourself racing between sights, exhausted before lunch, with barely enough time to enjoy the experience.
Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Many travelers fall into the "Once-in-a-Lifetime" trap—cramming in everything, fearing they’ll never return. But what if I told you there’s a better way?
A mindset shift that makes travel feel effortless, abundant, and more meaningful.
This mindset trap is so common—it’s the belief that this is your one and only chance to visit a place, so you must fit everything in. But let’s take a step back.
The problem? This approach doesn’t actually make your trip better—it makes it stressful. Here’s why:
1) Who decided what “everything” even is?!
Seriously—who made this rule? You can’t do everything. You won’t eat at every incredible restaurant (nor would you want to). You won’t visit every landmark. You won’t walk every charming street.
So what exactly are you trying to cram in? And more importantly—does it even align with what you actually care about?
2) Physics says no.
At least, not if you want a pleasant experience. Objects under pressure? They stress out. And when you pack your itinerary to the max, you’re essentially putting yourself under constant travel pressure.
🔹 More places = more logistics.
🔹 More logistics = more stress.
🔹 More stress = less joy.
That’s just science.
3) Let’s play this out.
Okay—let’s say this is your only time visiting this place. Fast forward 30 years. You’re reminiscing about this trip.
Will you cherish those 12 frantic bus rides across Rome, jumping from one must-see sight to another?
Will you fondly recall that mad dash to Amalfi, where you saw the coastline for… all of three minutes?
Will the Gallery of Tapestries in the Vatican—the one you rushed through while checking your watch—be the defining memory?
Or… would you rather remember that long, laughter-filled dinner at a tucked-away trattoria? The one where you had the best pasta of your life, chatted with the owner, and watched the world slow down for a moment?
Of course you want to make the most of your trip, and that’s a good instinct! But the way to do that isn’t by cramming in more—it’s by choosing what truly matters.
Let’s pause for a second. Take a deep breath and ask yourself:
What if this wasn’t your only chance to visit this place?
What if travel wasn’t something rare—but something that could be a natural, joyful part of your life?
When you let go of the idea that you have to “see it all” in one trip, something shifts. Instead of feeling the pressure to cram everything in, you start to feel the freedom to actually enjoy it.
Picture this: You’re sitting at a café in Paris. The waiter just set down your cappuccino, and the world is moving around you—locals chatting, a street musician playing softly in the background, the Eiffel Tower barely peeking through the rooftops. You take a sip of your coffee, let out a sigh, and think…
"Wait… should I be at the Louvre right now?"
No. No, you should not. Because this moment is the experience.
That’s the irony of it all—when you stop rushing, you actually experience more.
Shifting your mindset to abundant travel doesn’t mean skipping things you love. It means realizing that travel isn’t a limited resource. There will always be another trip. Another adventure. Another version of you, ready to experience a place in a new way.
And honestly? Do you think anyone has ever come back from Italy saying, “Wow, that was great, but I really should have done more”? No. They come back saying, “Wow, that was great, but I really should have eaten more pasta.”
The good news? You can always go back for more.
This all sounds great, right? But how do you actually shift your travel mindset?
I’ll be honest—it’s not always easy! Even I still catch myself slipping into the “see it all” trap. But every time I succeed in shifting my focus, my trips feel better, more luxurious, and more joyful. Every. Single. Time.
Here are a few simple ways I use to make sure my mindset is, well… set.
So what actually happens when you let go of the pressure to “see it all” and embrace the idea that travel is abundant, not scarce? Well, for starters, you stop feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation. Instead of racing between landmarks, exhausted and running purely on espresso and ambition, you finally experience a place—lingering over meals, noticing little details, actually remembering what you saw instead of just swiping through photos later thinking, Wait… where was that again?
Travel starts to feel expansive, not exhausting. You leave a destination feeling fulfilled, not depleted. And when you stop treating your trip like an endless to-do list, something shifts—you start to find luxury not just in five-star hotels, but in the feeling of breathing deeply, slowing down, and knowing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
And really, isn’t that what you’re looking for?