Our generation is in perpetual motion. Blessed with knowledge and a natural curiosity – born from the rise of globalization – travel is who we are. We’ve been called “backpackers,” “flash packers,” “digital nomads” and modern vagabonds” – but our peers would say there is no title to describe us. In the wake of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall we were young, awestruck. Yet we were already consumed by life and possibility in a more open world.

We were the last generation born before the emergence of the Internet, but the first to come of age entirely online. While generations before us debate the implications of “new media,” we embrace the online culture we grew up in, with a full grasp of the tools that power our world. The Internet arms us with the ability to keep moving forward, and gives us the power and privilege to contact and stay connected more easily than ever before.

We were also raised with romantic notions of travel and adventure – the power and privilege in learning about ourselves and others. So we pound the pavement and blend in with the locals; we share our homes and the treasures of the places we know.

But we travel smarter. Faster. We travel in our ideas and passions and we travel the physical world with every opportunity. We are a new generation of travelers aided by cheap flights and massive social networks and online connectivity. This is our lifestyle. We are in perpetual motion. Yet we are aware that our license to more easily roam and learn the world, we have a great responsibility to build better communities and shape a stronger world.

Some may call us hedonist, but in reality we’re a generation not afraid to make dreams our reality. This is who we are, and the world we live in. It is time we discover it. It is time for us to respect it. It is time.

 

I. Travel as you are

1 ►We approach travel as a greater journey to discover more about ourselves and others. Every opportunity to travel sheds light on our world.

2 ►We always travel out of our comfort zone, giving us occasion to live multiples unique experiences and learn from others.

3 ►We take every opportunity to travel- whatever our budget or the distance we cover. There are multiple ways of traveling.

 

II. Before the trip

4 ►In preparing for a trip, we try to leave the itinerary as open as possible. This way anything can happen and the people we meet have a better chance to show us their world.

5 ►We become conscious of the reasons we travel and open our minds to all the great adventures that are to come.

6 ►We prepare ourselves to meet new people, more so than worrying about the places we’ll see or things we’ll eat. For that we compile knowledge by scouring travel guides, books, movies and most importantly our networks.

 

III. During the trip

7 ►When away on a trip, we do everything to leave our daily lives at home. This way, we can fully enjoy our trip and be available for anything.

8 ►We discover and reach out to communities, trying to keep an open-mind and have no prejudices.

9 ►We think travel is not just an activity; it’s about connecting and growing. It’s especially important to meet local people to get closer to the reality and create friendship.

10 ►We get lost. The best experiences come from unexpected situations and encounters. We’re always walking off the beaten path.

11 ►We enjoy every minute of our trips, alerting all our senses as a way to explore everything that makes up or surroundings. There’s a special appeal to night time where you get a all new reality and a different state of mind.

12 ►We collect memories of each trip to remember what we lived: drawings, photographs, movies, writings, poems, maps – sharing them with our network.

 

IV. After the trip

13 ►When returning home from a trip – filled with emotions and meditations from recent memories – we pen testimonies in all mediums; we share wisdom and contacts in aim of inspiring our friends.

14 ►We approach our daily lives with the philosophies and principles other have taught us along the way.

15 ►When at home we try to meet and host people from around the world or close to home and show them our home as we hope others will when we are in a new place.

16 ►We see a return home as the beginning of the next great adventure.