Entering the “soft” era

Hey, you! 

In the spirit of “trying to look busy even though there isn’t much to do,” let me be the first to welcome you to the holiday break. We made it, folks!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got Home Alone queued up and a steaming cup of hot cocoa calling my name.

Before I officially sign off for the holidays, I wanted to share my predictions for the new year ahead.

Let’s dive in.

Hey, this is Kelsey, and you’re reading the SiteSee newsletter. Think of me as your Big Sis when it comes to travel, inspiring you to keep going places. You can expect an email from me every Friday filled with tips for living a location-independent lifestyle and the gear to get you there.

Travel Story✍️

IMHO, there was one major trend in 2023 that dominated all: the demise of hustle culture. 

Okay, the word “demise” may seem a bit strong, but it seems that more and more people are rejecting hustle culture, choosing to live life at a slower pace and, above all, prioritizing their personal lives over their work. 

Myself included.

In my early 20s, I was all about the hustle. I worked long hours trying to prove my worth (as much to myself as to my bosses), and I read Sophia Amoruso’s Girlboss like it was The Bible. 

Work. Hustle. Repeat. Such was my motto for most of 2014 to 2018. And I wasn’t the only one. 

At the time, the “rise and grind” attitude was the zeitgeist—particularly in the U.S. Basically, if your life and work weren’t completely draining you, then you weren’t on a path to success. 

But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. And in some ways, it was like a collective breath of fresh air. Instead of hustling, grinding and slaving away at our keyboards to keep moving up the ladder, most of us in the knowledge workforce got the chance to sit at home and find beauty in the mundane. 

We learned how to make banana bread. We went on walks, runs, and bike rides. And I think almost all of us binge-watched Tiger King before going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of our hobbies and passions, finally having the extra time to work on all those side projects we had long pushed to the back burner.

Even in our post-COVID-19 life, things are different. For most people, there’s been a shift in priorities and a pointed effort to maintain this slower pace of life. Quiet Quitting, for example, had its moment. And now, I believe we’ve settled into something new (and something quite beautiful): We still see work as important, but it is no longer our reason for being. 

This new era (which I’m dubbing the “soft” era) has ushered in a better balance between masculine and feminine energies. We’ve got more yin for our yang, and we’re focused less on “doing” and more interested in “being.”

I have no doubt that we’ll continue seeing this pattern flourish in 2024. 

Travel, for example, will be more than just a way to escape from your soul-sucking office Slack channel. Instead, it’ll be about finding the time to immerse yourself in nature and be truly present. Specifically, I think bookings for personal growth retreats are going to skyrocket, with more people seeking outdoor adventures and digital detoxes. 

This tweet from Greg Isenberg puts it perfectly:

For another perspective on what travel will look like in 2024, read our travel writer Katie Bauer’s analysis in Chasing Dreams, Not Deadlines: Embracing a “Softer” Feminine Life. Here, she talks about the 9-to-5 workday and why it’s no longer relevant to our modern lifestyles. Think: 63% of workers say remote work is the most important thing aspect of their job.

I think the digital nomads who started working from home (or on the road) full-time well before the COVID-19 pandemic were the real pioneers of this remote work movement. They knew that having the opportunity to chase new experiences and take on new adventures is way more valuable than working longer hours at the office just to bring home a slightly bigger paycheck. 

Now that we’re fully on the other side of the pandemic, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead in 2024—for travel and beyond. 

So bring on the “soft” era. 

Gear Check🧳

In the past week, I moved from an Airbnb to a friend's apartment for a brief stay. Then, I moved to another house where I’ll be dog-sitting for the next two weeks. With all the jumping around, these packing cubes have been an absolute life-saver in helping me maintain some semblance of order. Rather than opening my suitcase and immediately stressing out about its jumbled, wrinkled contents, I feel organized, zen, and on top of my s***. (Plus, these packing cubes are cute and retro-looking. What girl doesn’t love that?) 

Airport Reads🗞️

• I’m planning on conducting a review of 2023 using Tim Ferriss’s model. I like his method because it helps you create informed, actionable takeaways you can then use to actively plan what you want to do with your life in the next year.

• Not to sound like I’m writing to you from the year 2062, but I’ve swapped out my AI assistant from ChatGPT to Claude.ai—and it feels like the future. For one, its (or, his?) responses are a lot more human-like, which is exactly what I want when working with my robot friends. 

• I’m deep into the new season of The Crown, so, yes: You’ll catch me sporting my biker shorts and my sweatshirt à la Princess Diana. (Please, no paparazzi.)

Last Thing✨

Thanks for being here with me in 2023! Before we part ways until the new year, I wanted to pass the mic to you.

So tell me:

Have a wonderful holiday season. I’ll see you back here next year!

Onwards,

Kelsey

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