Simply put, travelosophy is travel philosophy. Everyone has a philosophy of travel even though you may not be able to verbalize it. Your travelosophy dictates the type of experience you want to have, seek and crave. Sometimes you find it. Sometimes you don't. Sometimes you get a flat tire.  For travelers, the highway beckons like the siren's call to find the two-lane roads to well-known or seldom-heard-of places. Whether it is on the motorcycle, in the car, RV, on a bicycle trail, or walking and hiking on a well-worn path, the siren calls and you answer, "Yes."
Everyone wants something from their travels--an experience, friendship, knowledge, memories, something to reflect on. As a travel writer or someone who just loves to journal, your mission is to convey that experience to the readers. For me, it is simply conveying a story of meaningful travel--a sojourn. I like to find something that produces an ah-ha moment, like a parable. For meaningful travel to occur, I must take an active role, and look for it. Here is an illustration I have used many times to describe active role: Can you tell me how many home for-sale signs are in your neighborhood or on the way to work? Probably not. But, after reading this, on your next commute, you'll be looking, and you will notice signs that you did not see before. Why? Because you were actively looking. Travel is like that. You can let the countryside slip by, or you can take an active look. You can miss that coffee shop or restaurant with great food and beverage, while you're passively looking for McDonald's.  How much should you plan? I like to plan my destination and a route with alternatives. After that, everything is up for grabs. It is possible to over plan a journey, leaving no room for impulsive jaunts or mishaps.
My friend, Carla King a.k.a. MissAdventuring, says it is the misadventures that make travel truly memorable. She is absolutely right. It is the unplanned events, like a side trip or a flat tire, a chance encounter that sometimes brings out the best in people, making an adventure truly memorable and worth writing about. Granted, some people don't like surprises, and that's okay. It's your travelosophy that prepares you for travels and adventures, and we all have different expectations. Be true to yourself. Thinking back about the many travel adventures I have written about, it has been the unexpected that made the biggest differences and therefore most memorable. You can't plan for the unexpected, but you can certainly expect it. Remember, it's not the destination, but rather the journey that makes life interesting, and consequently, good travel writing.
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