Travel Writing: How to Use Slow Travel to Best Improve Your Writing (Even if You Aren’t a Travel Writer)

Your writing feels stale.

Every day, you sit at the same desk, staring at the same four walls, trying to conjure fresh ideas from an increasingly empty well. You’ve tried everything: writing prompts, new software, a hot pop playlist, even rearranging your workspace. But nothing seems to spark that creative fire you once had.

Maybe a change of scenery would help?

There are many sayings out there about travel: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”, and as my dad always used to tell me, “The real world isn’t what’s inside these four walls, sweetheart”. Traveling through the landscape of writing… well, it’s to take a tour not only of your own psyche, but also your experiences of the world around you.

What if the answer isn’t found in your office, but in slowly exploring the world around you?

You don’t have to be a travel writer to do it. Through slow travel and immersing yourself in new cultures, you can transform your writing from mundane to extraordinary. Living abroad doesn’t just change your location. It changes your entire perspective as a writer.

One of my favorite quotes is from Antonio Machado’s poem, “Caminante, no hay camino”:

“Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.”

While the entire poem is beautiful, this is the translation of that particular quote:

“Walker, there is no path, the path is made by walking.”

Let me show you how embracing slow travel can revolutionize your writing and reignite your creativity.

What Is Slow Travel? Why Slow Travel Changes Everything for Writers

Traveller, let’s face it: Tourism is the death of real travel experiences.

When you’re rushing from tourist spot to tourist spot, snapping quick photos and barely scratching the surface of a place, you miss the rich details that make locations come alive.

Slow travel transforms this experience entirely. By spending weeks or months in one place, you begin to notice the subtle rhythms of daily life – the way morning light filters through narrow streets, how locals greet each other at the corner café, the unexpected celebrations that bring communities together.

If you’re rushing through airports to catch your next plane, you miss the train rides that let you see the real, unfiltered countryside as you pass it by.

If you’re staying in a hotel, you miss the chance to connect with the local community through homestays or hostels.

If you spend all your time on a resort, you miss the exhilarating, gritty realness of life beyond the glitz and glam: You miss the homelessness, dirt, and disrepair, but also the warmth, friendliness, authenticity, curiosity, vivacity, and joy of the people who are living their normal lives in the communities beyond the tourist shine.

If you only visit during peak season, you miss the rhythms of the year that make communities tick: The farmers’ markets that open at 5 a.m. every Saturday in Escazú, the high-school marching bands in Costa Rica that practice for Christmas parades in the streets because they don’t have a football field, the way the local Catholic churchbells from Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral sound over Florence every day at Matins and Vespers, how Venice stinks like fish and seawater, the way the howling winds of Montana blow snow drifts into dunes that undulate like waves on a frozen sea, the way the cats will come up to you and meow for food and affection in Istanbul.

Intimate observations like these become the foundation of authentic, vivid writing. Whether you’re crafting fiction or non-fiction, travel is a major contributor to the deep well of experiences that every writer needs.

It’s almost essential.

The Power of Cultural Immersion

Living abroad pushes you out of your comfort zone in ways that transform your writing voice. You’ll find yourself navigating new social norms, learning different ways to express emotions, and understanding how other cultures view the world. This immersion challenges your assumptions and broadens your perspective.

It’ll also give you inspiration for your characters and their own experiences.

When you spend significant time in new locations, you develop a more nuanced understanding of place and character. You’ll realise how little you knew. The sights, sounds, and sensations of your temporary home weave themselves into your writing, adding authenticity that readers can feel.

It’s easy to overlook the local people and their culture in favor of seeing the coastline.

Slow travel is a new way to step back in time and see things how they were before the tourist industry and the jam-packed itinerary took over.

It’s transformative.

Why Not Quick Travel Writing? Benefits of Slow Travel for Writers

The impact of slow travel on your writing extends far beyond simple inspiration. Here’s how this approach can elevate your writer’s craft:

1. Enhanced Observational Skills
   Your powers of observation sharpen naturally when everything around you is new. You’ll start noticing subtle details about human behavior, architecture, and social dynamics that can enrich your descriptions and character development.

2. Expanded Vocabulary and Language
   Exposure to new languages and dialects, even if you don’t become fluent, influences how you think about and use words. You’ll discover fresh ways to express ideas and emotions.

3. Deeper Character Understanding
   Meeting people from different backgrounds, experiences, and personalities helps you create more authentic, well-rounded characters. You’ll better understand how culture shapes personality and motivation.

4. Rich Setting Details
   Experiencing places slowly gives you a library of sensory details to draw from. Your setting descriptions become more vivid and engaging. Want to write a pirate novel? Visit the Caribbean, watch the sunlight glitter off the waves like the scales of a snake, and smell the rain of a storm incoming on the salty wind.

Vineyards to Back Streets: Making Slow Travel Work for Your Writing

To maximize the benefits of slow travel for your writing:

1. Choose Your Location Thoughtfully
   Select places that align with your writing goals. Research local writing groups or literary events you can join. Find tours you can take. Learn the local language so you can understand all the nuances.

2. Create a Flexible Routine
   Balance exploration with dedicated writing time. Consider morning writing sessions followed by afternoon exploration.

3. Document Everything
   Keep detailed journals about your daily observations. Take photos, make sketches, collect local newspapers – anything that helps capture the essence of your experience. Discover the hidden nooks and crannies that no other tourist knows about. Love the local souvlaki or baklava? Write down the flavors that explode in your mouth with each bite. Costa Rica has amazing fresh fruit and vegetables, but the local craft beer scene is lacking? Write about it.

4. Engage with Locals
   Join community events, take classes, or volunteer. These interactions provide authentic insights into local life and culture.

Unforgettable: Common Challenges and Solutions

While travel can transform your writing, it comes with challenges:

Challenge: Maintaining writing discipline while exploring.
Solution: Set specific writing hours and stick to them, treating them as non-negotiable appointments. Don’t let the locals’ laissez-faire attitude toward appointment-keeping persuade you to let your skills slide!

Challenge: Dealing with language barriers.
Solution: Use these communication challenges as opportunities to observe non-verbal cues and different ways people express themselves. Do you find yourself becoming a professional mime and relying on Google Translate? I’ve been there, too. I could probably give lessons on miming, by now.

Challenge: Staying connected with your writing community.
Solution: Join online writing groups and maintain virtual connections while building new in-person relationships. Who knows? You might meet some local and/or expat authors to exchange stories with!

Ready to Go? Practical Tips for Getting Started

Ready to hit the road and use slow travel to improve your writing? Here’s how to begin:

1. Start with a minimum one-month stay in your chosen location
2. Research visa requirements and living arrangements well in advance
3. Join local writing groups or creative communities before arrival
4. Set up a mobile writing workspace that’s comfortable and reliable
5. Plan your budget to allow for extended stays without financial stress
6. If you don’t have much money to travel with, find some way to sustain yourself while you’re abroad

Final Thoughts

Slow travel offers writers an unparalleled opportunity for growth and inspiration. By immersing yourself in new cultures and locations, you’ll develop a richer, more nuanced writing style that captures the complexity of the human experience.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to visit new places. It’s to let those places transform how you see and write about the world. Take your time, observe deeply, and watch as your writing evolves in ways you never expected.

Ready to start your actual writing journey?

The world is waiting to inspire your next great work.