You know how to make a trip even better? Leave it with a full heart, knowing that you did something to give back along the way. The following five practices are so easy but can have quite an impact.
Easy Ways to Give Back
1. Take any hotel toiletries that you don’t use and donate them to a local women’s shelter. If you’re like me you travel with your own toiletries and they never even get touched. Sadly most hotels throw them away whether you’ve opened them or not, so you might as well take them and put them somewhere they can be used and appreciated.
2. Whenever you’re out on a walk, challenge yourself to pick up three pieces of trash. It is a simple way to leave each place better than you found it.
I will never forget the time we were in Banff and I leaned down to pick up a piece of trash along the sidewalk. About five seconds later, I saw a man across the street who had seen me bend down and do the same. It was really powerful to see!
3. When eating out, take any leftovers to go. Ask for them to be boxed up and bagged with a napkin and plasticware and give it to a person in need on the street.
4. When possible, shop and dine locally. We love to eat at hole-in-the-wall mom and pop restaurants, and one day when we own a home I would love to collect home decor items from each destination we visit (doesn’t really work with our one-bedroom and carry-on only life right now!) If you love clothing, seek out local designers that fit your aesthetic and invest in them.
5. Bring an extra snack or bar in your purse and give to a person in need. To keep from getting hangry I keep a snack or nutrition bar in my purse at all times. When traveling, I add an extra one in there so that if I see someone on the street I can give them a little something to snack on.
