Episode 74: Travel Talk with Will Hollingworth

08Feb 2022 by EJtheTravelDiva
 

This is going to be an exciting episode!

I always want to motivate my listeners to travel, whether it’s to another country or to a town a couple of hours away. My guest today has been doing the same through his books, social media posts, and wherever else he can encourage people to take that first step.

Today, I’m talking to William Hollingworth. He is the author of All 48: Drive Your Dreams, a true story about him and his wife, Jessica, as they navigate young parenthood, William’s deployment in the army, and into the spontaneous road trip that sparked their desire to see more of the world.

In this episode, you will hear about their journey, how to plan for a road trip, how to get double the experience in one trip, and how they travel with full-time jobs (at one point they had 2 jobs each).

Let’s get into it:

[03:29] About William.

William and his wife, Jessica, met at a young age and became teen parents. Shortly after turning 18, William joined the US Army as a medic and was deployed from 2014 to 2015.

After his deployment, William and Jessica stepped into the world of travel.

[05:48] The first trip.

Despite being in the army and his deployment, William didn’t get the opportunity to travel much.

William’s first flight was when he went to basic training, and Jessica’s first flight was when she went to watch him graduate from basic training.

Their first big trip was a spontaneous road trip to California. During the trip, they had mapped out stops in several states, and soon they had taken a trip through California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico in one week.

After the trip, they had the drive to travel across the entire US. Towards the end of their final trip, they compiled their travel experiences and published them in books and on several platforms to help others travel.

For those who want to travel but need the motivation or the inspiration to do it – just do it.

[19:38] Get out there and try it.

Many people get stuck and find reasons to not go.

In their book, they talk about William’s aunt who wanted to travel to Graceland. She kept putting it off year after year, until she passed away having never gone to Graceland.

If you have the opportunity to travel, don’t delay it. Get out there, try it, and have that experience while you still can. Some of your goals could be just a day away.

[22:50] Choosing where to stay.

The formula for choosing what you see, where you stay, and what you experience, is to plan your route first. Everything else gets planned around the route.

Plan a route to and from the furthest destination on your trip. Look at the cities along the routes, and search for the top recommended places to eat, things to do and see, and places to stay.

A great way to save on accommodation costs is through a network of friends in or near the cities on your route. If you don’t have a network of friends along your route, trucker stops, and rest stops are a great way to get a couple of hours of sleep on the long roads.

[27:46] Travel changes you.

There isn’t a trip that will not change you in some way.

As a couple, William and Jessica had matured through their first road trip to California. Individually, the trip opened up and expanded all the possibilities.

If you can get out there and do it, and see all of these amazing things, the list of things that you are able to do becomes so much longer.

[30:59] Dealing with others’ insecurities.

If you are prone to insecurities, reach out to us and we will encourage you.

If William hadn’t done his traveling before others started projecting their insecurities, they would most likely have talked him out of it, and he wouldn’t have been out to see more of the world.

After a couple of trips, more people started becoming excited for their trips and taking their travels seriously.

[35:59] A vacation is what you make it.

Many people believe that you need to leave the country to have a vacation.

Start small. Have a staycation or drive out of your city for a couple of hours to a destination. It doesn’t have to be a big international trip. There’s plenty to see right where you are.

[36:39] A different return route.

Planning their trips, William and Jessica decided to go to their destination on one route and return on a different route.

You can use Google Maps (and even trick Google into letting you add more than 10 steps to your trip) to plan your routes and get double the experience for kind of the same mileage.

[40:34] Working and traveling.

William and Jessica both work full-time jobs while also doing their traveling. At one point, they were extra motivated, so they worked two jobs each.

You don’t need to quit your job to travel. If anything, traveling will make you a more motivated person, and you and your job will benefit from you taking those vacation days to travel.

[42:24] Is Colt joining on the trips?

Except the California trip, Colt has joined for the trips.

At the age of 10, he’s been to around 38 states already.

[43:49] Starting travel early.

With Colt starting his travels so early on, William and Jessica continue to instil in him the idea that he can do anything, and that travel is important. He is often involved in the trip, giving opinions on sights and food, and learning about each state as they travel.

[46:12] All 48: Drive Your Dreams.

The first 5 people to reach out to William will get a free copy of this book (with free shipping).

The biggest takeaway from the book: Invest in yourself.

What an amazing episode!

I hope this episode has inspired you to take that first step into the wonderful world of travel. You don’t have to go big to have a great vacation or try something different.

Your biggest goal is just a day away.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

 If you want to know more about out Will and his book, visit the links below:

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