Books on The Lane, Walton, Wakefield
No bucket lists or top 10s here; this is travel that’s relatable, not Instagrammable
Thoughtful travel is about two things. Carefully considering where to go first. Not picking what’s popular, going where everyone else goes, or obsessing over bucket list hits. Then being present while you’re there. Not looking at everything through a lens. Not snapping, posting and moving on.
It’s about being immersed in a place. Taking time to slow down, rest, relax and be inspired. Whether you’re travelling to somewhere new, or returning to somewhere familiar, thoughtful travel is about how you travel, not where you go.
There’s a parallel here with my thoughts on everyday creativity: thoughtful travel is also about noticing more and consuming less. Taking pleasure in returning to places, not just ticking them off.
It's about how you travel, not where you go.
Use it or lose it: supporting local, investing in independents & prioritising people
I really believe that if we want places to be here in the future, we need to patronise them now. That coffee shop you love, the independent shop you always stop to look in, the galleries you’re proud of, the restaurants, the bars… no matter what it is, all of these businesses need visitors and there’s no reason why you can’t be one of them.
I try to put this into practice in my home town.
Anything new opening in Wakefield, if I like the look of it, not only will I try it, but if I like it, I’ll make a point to keep stopping in and showing my support. I like to think of it as voting with my feet and my money for the things I want to see on my high street. But why should this stop at my home town?
I think this is a great philosophy to apply to travel too. If you find somewhere you like the look of, not because it’s trending but because it appeals to you, then go. If you really like it, go again. It will keep it there for another day. Supporting the places we care about shouldn’t stop at our postcode. Thoughtful travel means carrying that same intention wherever we go.
What I write about under thoughtful travel
I don’t believe that spectacular is a prerequisite for a piece about travel. If anything, it’s probably a sign that it’s already been done to death. Instead I like to focus on the smaller things and sometimes that’s simply the place itself.
Slow stays, making the most of where you’re staying
When I say “slow stays”, I’m really talking about quiet, calm days in the place you’re staying. Not rushing out to discover the nearby attractions and things to do, but lingering instead in the four walls around you. It’s about slow mornings: long showers and proper coffee, homemade lunches, afternoon strolls and sleepy evenings: reading by the fire, watching the sun set and tucking into bed early. Letting places reveal themselves over time, embracing serendipity and taking it slow in your Airbnb, hotel, bed and breakfast, or even a refurbished boat, camper-van or canvas tent. Be where you planned to be. Sometimes it’s about staying, not going.
Sights & sounds, noticing the details of a place
Some of my favourite experiences over my travels are the sights and sounds I’ve stumbled across. It’s not always about the sights you intend to see and the sounds you plan to hear. It’s also about the ones you find because you’re there. A right-place, right-time kind of moment. It’s independent shops you never knew existed, the changing weather that reveals rainbows and unexpected thunderclouds, a coffee stop you didn’t plan for, the bird song in the early morning and when you cross paths with wildlife without warning. They’re the memories you didn’t mean to make, and often the ones that stay with you the longest.
Small joys, because it’s not always about being spectacular
On any trip there are “wow” moments. The ones that stop you in your tracks. The ones that demand your attention.
The trouble is, they’re often few and far between. Partly by definition. Partly because too much hype creates a gap between expectation and reality: one of the quieter downsides of modern travel content. Too much gushing, not enough realism.
And when expectations outstrip reality, or the wow moments feel scarce, it’s tempting to label the whole experience a disappointment. This is where paying attention to the little things makes all the difference.
It’s the small joys.
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Getting somewhere before everyone else and having the space entirely to yourself.
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Finding something you had no intention of finding and seeing beauty in it anyway.
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An unplanned stop where the coffee is unexpectedly excellent.
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A wrong turn that leads somewhere you’d never have chosen to go.
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Sun on your face when the forecast promised rain.
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New shoes that don’t rub as you tread new ground.
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Or simply the quiet awareness that you were lucky enough to be there at all.
Sometimes it's about staying, not going.
Thoughtful travel as a practice, not a lifestyle
I wouldn’t describe myself as a traveller. I don’t think I have wanderlust. But I do like to visit new places. Perhaps that’s novelty bias at work. Or perhaps it’s because I don’t see travel as a lifestyle identity, but as something to be practiced. Practiced because it’s something we can all get better at.
Not in the conventional sense of mastering travel hacks, perfecting packing lists or optimising itineraries. That’s about efficiency. What I’m interested in is intention.
Travelling with the intention to see more and, dare I say, do less.
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To be present, not positioned behind (or permanently in front of) a lens.
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To look with your own eyes and really see what’s there.
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To indulge in a place rather than document it.
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To pay attention, not collect content.
It’s travel for you, not for everyone else.
Clearly I’m not against sharing travel experiences. I do it myself. But for me, the focus is on reflection not promotion. It’s a way of processing where I’ve been and what I noticed.
My travel philosophy is about letting trips evolve around you, with breathing space left in itineraries for “see what happens” moments. For me this is one of the most reliable ways to let travel influence your creativity.
This isn’t where you’ll find guidebooks, although you will find recommendations. It’s not a checklist. It’s a record of paying attention.
Have a wander through my travels. And the next time you head somewhere new or somewhere familiar, stay present, stay curious, and let it shape you.
Reflections & lessons: the things you bring home again (apart from souvenirs)
For all the talk of where you go, what lingers long after a trip ends is rarely the headline moment. It’s not a landmark or a photograph. It’s the shift in perspective.
Travel has a way of sharpening your attention. When you’re somewhere new, you notice more. Street signs. Shop fronts. The way light falls at a different time of day. The pace people move at. You look harder because you have to.
That heightened noticing is one of the greatest gifts travel offers creativity. Not because you’re hunting for ideas, but because you’re open to them. When you slow down enough to observe properly, inspiration stops feeling like something elusive and starts feeling like something ordinary. Available. Built into the everyday.
Perhaps most importantly though, thoughtful travel changes the way you come home.
You return noticing your own town differently. The café you always walk past. The park you rarely linger in. The independent shops you want to see survive. Home can feel new again, not because it’s changed, but because you have.
The souvenirs fade. The photos get archived. But the recalibration stays.
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A slightly slower pace.
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A sharper eye.
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A renewed appreciation for where you already are.
And if that isn’t worth the trip, I’m not sure what is.
Travel doesn’t have to be extraordinary to be meaningful.
