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What does it mean to “Follow Your Detour”?

Getting Started

The meaning behind the name of this site, Follow Your Detour, is so important to us and is truly the passion behind everything we do…on here and in life! With that, we feel that it’s crucial for our readers to fully understand the meaning of a detour in order to embrace it and follow it.

What is a Detour?

The basic definition of a detour is a deviation from a direct course or normal procedure. Detours are the alternate routes that are taken due to certain circumstances – a road closure, for example. Life detours are similar in that life is commonly referred to as a journey, and in life, there are going to be circumstances that require you to change your plans or direction. We often call these circumstances “roadblocks”, and they come in many forms. Our idea of a life detour is the process of adjusting your route to overcome the roadblocks.

There are two different types of life detours: unexpected and intentional.

1.) Unexpected Detours

Plain and simple, if you are a human, you are going to experience unexpected detours. Unexpected detours are the result of roadblocks that are sudden, undesirable, and just down right suck. Unfortunately, life is full of these kinds of roadblocks. Nobody expects to get cancer, suffer the loss of a loved one, or be injured in an accident. Nobody wants anything bad to happen to them, but unfortunately, pain and suffering is part of the human experience.

You can’t control what happens to you or your loved ones, but you can control how you experience these unexpected detours you’re forced to take in life. Depending on how you face unexpected detours, you can actually experience tremendous personal growth and increased satisfaction as a result of it.

2.) Intentional Detours

Intentional detours happen when you make the conscious decision to alter the path you’re life is on. Intentional detours also follow roadblocks, but often the roadblocks are more subtle and can be harder to identify. These roadblocks can often be self-imposed, but they normally cause a person to feel worried, anxious, and/or stressed.

Almost anything in life can be a roadblock that is holding you back- relationships, jobs, unhealthy habits, fears, self-esteem, etc. In some ways, following an intentional detour is simply the commitment to make a change to improve some aspect of your life. Intentional detours typically require courage, persistence, and determination, but typically are guaranteed to yield some sort of personal growth, even if you fail.

How to “Follow Your Detour”

Don’t worry, we know that you know what the word “follow” means, but sometimes it helps to break it down a bit. Plus, “follow” has a few different meanings that really help in understanding what we mean by “following a detour”.

To “follow” is to…

  • Go after (…your passions and desires?)
  • Strive after; aim at (…a goal?)
  • Act in accordance with (…a dream, perhaps?)
  • Pay close attention to (…your journey, growth?)

You get the point, right? Notice those key words – go, strive, act! You have to DO something to make your detour (that big change of direction in your life) happen! Your dream life isn’t going to come handed to you on a silver platter.

Here’s Our Roadmap for Following Your Detour:

1. Go Discover Your Detour

Acknowledge when you’re not happy or need a change, regardless of circumstances

This takes courage and was a major breakthrough for us. At one point in our lives, we had acquired nearly everything we had dreamt of – good jobs, a beautiful home, nice cars, and the ability to travel a couple times a year. But we still had this longing for something more and something different. In fact, we’d often get in fights about it because everything we had worked hard for wasn’t cutting it. Usually one of us would take it personally when the other person would say they weren’t happy. We couldn’t figure out why, despite all the “good” we had going for us, it wasn’t enough. Actually, we felt guilty.

Does this resonate with you? Do you find yourself dreaming of a different life, even though your life really isn’t that bad. Then, do you convince yourself that you’re just being silly and list off all the reasons you have to be grateful and shut down those visions of your dream life?

Or maybe you’ve always wanted to try something – starting a new business, living in a new city, a big career change – but you’ve just invested too much in the business, city, or job you’re already in. You’d risk looking like a failure or quitter, right? WRONG! That’s fear. Ignore it. You deserve your dream.

woman walking on top of mountain through the sunshine

Need more inspiration? Still trying to muster up some courage? We can help! Whether you’re still trying to determine that big change you want to make in your life, or just aren’t sure you’re ready to make it, the following posts will help:

2. Go Finance Your Detour

Eliminate money as a barrier

You often hear people say, making the decision was the hardest part! But, in our experience, that’s not at all the truth. Many big life decisions come with many obstacles you have to overcome in order to make the change you’ve sought out. And the biggest obstacle is often MONEY!

We hear from people all the time who are ready to follow their detour but they aren’t sure they’ll be able to afford it and don’t feel financially secure enough to take the risks necessary. We get it, money is often a huge barrier to chasing your dream lifestyle.

woman holding spare change in hands

Are you right at the crossroads and ready to take a detour but aren’t sure how you’ll do it financially? The following posts will help you budget, save money, pay off debt, and discover ways of making money online.

3. Go Live Your Detour

Focus on the journey, not just the destination

It’s incredible how no matter how laser focused your goal or dream life is, the journey to achieving it will be full of change and growth. You may find yourself taking a detour from your original detour! But as long as you stay open to each experience and opportunity along the way, you’re sure to have success regardless of the outcome. Don’t be too worried about your end goal that you miss the beauty along the way.

Through the ups and downs of following a detour, you’ll learn more about yourself then ever, you’ll surprise yourself, your confidence will soar, and you’ll never let your fears mislead you again. Don’t say we didn’t warn you when you start to become addicted to risks and change because you believe in yourself like never before. Trust us though, it’s powerful.

hand stretched out holding a compass with mountain trail in background

Everyone’s detour is different but what’s most important is enjoying the journey and scenery along the way. Here are the ways that we’ve enjoyed our detour and the various passions we’ve pursued:

Full-Time RVing

Travel

RV Travel: See all the places we’ve visited in our RV and get tips for where to park and what at to do in each area.

Featured Travel Destinations: These are a few of our favorite spots! We loved these destinations so much, they got their own special blog post!

International Travel: We haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on our list! From living in Costa Rica, taking several trips to Europe, and a bucket list experience to Thailand, we’ve covered a lot of ground. Here’s where you can fuel your wanderlust and get help planning your next trip.

We believe that following your own detours is the way to enjoy life to the fullest. The decision to follow our detour has been the absolute greatest thing to happen to us. It’s given us a beautiful, new perspective on life and has allowed us to create a life we’re absolutely obsessed with!

Much of our website is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging people to be confident to follow their own detours. It is our greatest desire to help people discover incredible  detours, turn them into their own unique paths, and enjoy the scenery they would’ve missed otherwise. 

How can we help you?

Leave us a comment below or contact us directly and let us know how we can support you as you follow your detour!