Hi there! If want 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 in your future travel plans 😊
What is Mind Over Matter Travel?
At Mind Over Matter Travel, we make adventures possible and purposeful with our travel booking, itinerary planning, and travel coaching services. It is our job to take the guesswork, stress, and hours of research out of your travel experience. As full-time travelers, we also 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 seeking meaningful experiences that accomplish a specific goal or lead 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 for travel tips and inspiration, we are here as a resource through our blog and services!
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:
- Pushing limits and boundaries knowing that you are capable of more than you think
- Recognizing the power of the mind and its ability to take you places you never thought possible
- Discovering the impact that travel can have on your mind to improve yourself
- Understanding how your mind impacts your travel experience
- 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 experts!
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 become 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.
Meet Elaina
Hi, I’m Elaina, the writer and travel planner behind Mind Over Matter Travel!
Here are some possibly boring but vital facts about me:
- I studied psychology and sociology at University of California Santa Barbara and have a strong passion for both.
- 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.
- I’m currently “homeless” and working as a digital nomad from a new place every couple weeks (so you see how that plan went),
- I earned my master’s degree in nonprofit management in 2020 and run a nonprofit remotely from the road.
Now some less boring and less vital facts about me:
- I’m a dog person (well, I guess I’m just an animal person).
- I love to play games but can be super competitive.
- I’m a Sagittarius and feel that it’s fitting.
- 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, so here it is:
- I’m a big nerd who also enjoys the outdoors just as much as I enjoy rolling dice and playing games.
- I have a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, but who cares about that; it’s not like I use it.
- I’ve always thought about becoming an anthropologist, but I’d rather travel and learn from people who are alive.
- I love animals. I will absolutely say hello to someone’s dog without interacting with the owner.
- Just like Elaina, I am also super competitive when the mood strikes me.
- 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.
What Next?
If you have read this far, you may be wondering about the next step for your travel adventure. For travel inspiration or destination itineraries/tips, visit our blog. If you already have a trip in mind or want to embark on a bigger, long-term adventure, explore our services.
Either way, thanks for being here, and we hope to be a key part of making your adventures possible and purposeful!