aerial view of waves crashing on the beach

About

Hi there! If you are here to learn more about why we’re here, what we do, who we are, and how we got here, you came to the right place! Continue reading to learn about Mind Over Matter Travel, who we are, and our role as your future travel agent 😊

What is Mind Over Matter Travel?

Mind Over Matter Travel is a travel company aiming to make your adventures possible and purposeful. We plan and book anything from weekend getaways to vacations to long-term travel! As travel agents, it is our job to take the guesswork and hours of research out of your travel planning. As full-time travelers, we also strive to offer a more personalized experience by sharing our insight from life on the road! 

Our approach focuses on what we call, purposeful travel. What does that mean exactly? It means not just using travel for escapism, but to seek more meaningful experiences that accomplish a specific goal or leads to the betterment of yourself or others. This can be achieved through bucket list experiences, self-care trips, cultural immersion, ethical travel, self-discovery trips, creative travel, culinary experiences, educational travel, volunteering abroad, and more.  

Whether you are looking to book your next trip or are looking for travel tips and inspiration, feel free join our mailing list, follow us on Instagram, or email us. We are here as a resource to travelers who are looking for travel guides, tips, and tricks to make your adventure possible. If you are looking for more hands-on help, message us to start planning your next getaway!

Why Mind Over Matter Travel?

The phrase “mind over matter” can be interpreted many ways, but is generally used to describe the use of willpower to overcome physical problems. Here at Mind Over Matter Travel, we embody the “mind over matter” mindset by:

  1. Pushing limits and boundaries knowing that you are capable of more than you think
  2. Recognizing the power of the mind and its ability to take you places you never thought possible
  3. Discovering the impact that travel can have on your mind to improve yourself 
  4. Understanding how your mind impacts your travel experience
  5. Choosing the expansion of your mind over materialistic possessions to seek a more fulfilling perspective of the world 

The “mind over matter” mentality is exactly how we approach our life, the way we travel, and the way we help others travel.

Who is behind Mind Over Matter Travel?

There are two driving forces behind Mind over Matter Travel: Zac and Elaina (that’s me 😊). I am the writer, and Zac is the photographer. And, of course, we are both the full-time travelers and travel agents!

You may ask how we got to where we are now! We both are from a small farm town in central California and traveled the U.S. a lot growing up. Yet, our love for travel really stemmed from our time studying abroad during university. Spending nine months studying in and backpacking around Europe forever changed our perspective of travel (and our lives). We decided in those months that the conventional life was not for us (at least for now). Our main focus shifted to finding ways to see and experience other parts of the world. We spent the next three years traveling when we could and saving money to travel even more!

In 2021, we took the leap and transitioned to becoming full-time travelers. We sold our stuff, DIYed a Ford Transit campervan, and traveled across the U.S. for a year visiting all 50 states and 54/63 national parks. After a year of vanlife, we traded in our van for a backpack to take our adventures abroad. Now we are backpacking around the world until… well, we haven’t planned that far ahead. Our past travels have shown us that we learn much more about the world and ourselves while on the road, so here we are 🤷🏻‍♀️

Our adventures around the world and experience helping others travel led us to becoming experts in the field of travel. We have also become well-versed in why most people don’t travel. That’s what ultimately led us to our passion of helping people overcome limiting mindsets by showing them that travel is possible. We take it a step further by taking the guesswork out of travel planning to make the experience seamless for our travel friends.

Meet Elaina

Hi, I’m Elaina, the writer and travel planner behind Mind Over Matter Travel!

Elaina wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and black pants sitting on a rock next to the ocean in the Azores

Here are some possibly boring but vital facts about me:

  1. I studied psychology and sociology at University of California Santa Barbara and have a strong passion for both.
  2. My life plan (since 8th grade) was to get my bachelors, pursue a doctorate degree, become a psychologist, and settle down in some California town.
  3. I’m currently “homeless” and working as a digital nomad from a new place every couple weeks (so you see how that plan went),
  4. I earned my masters degree in nonprofit management in 2020 and am running a nonprofit remotely from the road in addition to my work with Mind Over Matter Travel.

Now some less boring and less vital facts about me:

  1. I’m a dog person (well, I guess I’m just an animal person).
  2. I love to play games but can be super competitive.
  3. I’m a Sagittarius and feel that it’s fitting.
  4. I spend way too much time contemplating life.

Meet Zac

I’m Zac, the photographer and travel planner behind Mind Over Matter Travel! With that said, I am not a writer, but Elaina said I needed to write a little bio to share, so here it is:

  1. I’m a big nerd who also enjoys the outdoors just as much as I enjoy rolling dice and playing games. 
  2. I have a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, but who cares about that; it’s not like I use it. 
  3. I’ve always thought about becoming an anthropologist, but I’d rather travel and learn from people who are alive. 
  4. I love animals. I will absolutely say hello to someone’s dog without interacting with the owner. 
  5. Just like Elaina, I am also super competitive when the mood strikes me.
  6. I prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it; I use my iPhone camera for most of the photos you will see on this website and our Instagram.
Zac wearing a black shirt sitting in front of rocks and trees

Why do I need a Travel Agent?

If you have read this far, you may still be wondering “why do I need a travel agent?” This is a completely valid question, especially in the day and age of Google! But take a moment to answer these questions:

  1. Have you ever spent more hours that you have time for researching for an upcoming trip?
  2. Have you ever worried that you aren’t fully prepared to visit a new destination?
  3. Have you ever faced analysis paralysis and indecision from information overload?
  4. Do you ever feel like you are overpaying because you don’t know where to find the best deals?
  5. Are there times where you just don’t know where to start?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, a travel agent is just what you need. Not only are we trained in travel research and bookings, but we have personally experienced traveling to several destinations. This gives you access to a whole bank of first-hand travel knowledge. 

Not to mention, travel booking services are completely FREE to you! Yes, you read that right. Most people don’t understand that it is the companies we book with that pay us for bookings, not our clients. Why pass up on a free service that makes your life that much easier?

So, click here if you’re ready for a travel professional to help book your next trip!