Intuition (in'too wish'en) n. 1. the direct knowing or learning of something without the conscious use of reasoning; immediate apprehension or understanding 2. something known or learned in this way 3. the ability to perceive or know things without conscious reasoning.
Webster's Dictionary

Intuition will be one of your greatest resources in your travels. You may wonder just what in the heck is intuition? How do I know when it's intuition or other feelings? Do I have intuition? In what types of situations would using my intuition be helpful or resourceful?

What Is Intuition?

Ever had the feeling of knowing something before it happens? Having the sensation that you just "knew" someone would do something or an event would transpire before it did? Not really understanding how you "knew" it, most people brush it off as just a quirky coincidence. Try to remember a time when you had such a situation transpire. Maybe you felt something funny in your gut, something that either just felt right and good or just the opposite, it felt wrong and harmful.

Intuition is having a feeling about a situation or person that you can't really explain logically or analytically. Intuitive feelings have nothing to do with analyzing, calculating, theorizing, or number-crunching, quite the opposite. Intuition just is. Many people deny or minimize their intuitive feelings because they can’t sensibly explain why they feel the way they do. Because of this reason people don't use or trust their intuition as a source of information, validation, warning, or strength. Remember intuition comes from your gut, not your head. Free yourself of the worry of explanation; when you have an intuitive feeling, it just is what it is, so trust it. You don't have to explain it.

Do I Have Intuition?

The ability to be intuitive is not reserved for a chosen few, rather, everyone has the ability to be intuitive, whether they know it or believe it. Unfortunately, many people have not been validated for feelings of intuition, but rather disbelieved and such comments as, "The way you feel doesn't make sense"; Can you explain why you feel the way you do?"; Why do you feel like that?"; "That's not logical, you have no grounds to feel that way." After hearing these matter-of-fact statements and inquiries, why would any one of us listen, let alone trust our intuitive feelings? As adults we need to relearn how to listen to our intuition and use that information to our advantage. When you think about it, intuition is like having a grand internal gauge in which to assess people, situations, and dilemmas with which we find ourselves confronted.

Now, how to begin to get back in touch with the intuition you haven't been listening to for all these years? Well, my guess is that you have heard your intuition in the back corners of your mind over the years, but chose not to listen. The trick now is to open up your mind and listen to your gut. What does that mean? When do you get that ‘gut feeling’? When you know, but you're not sure why? When you meet someone and you just don't feel good about him or her? Listen. Listen. Listen to that feeling whispering or shouting in your mind coming from your gut. That's intuition.

"He Seems So Great, But.....", She Said.

You meet someone, a romantic interest let's say, he's good-looking, says all the right things, has a job (bonus), seems pretty great. Although you've done a quick analysis and concluded this guy's someone you want to date and possibly have a relationship with, there is a little nagging voice saying, "you can't trust him, there's something not right about this guy." But you choose not to listen and begin dating him anyway.

The small voice still echoes in the corners of your mind, even after three months of dating him. Six months down the dating dance, that little voice turned out to be all too true. This guy really wasn't as terrific as you first thought. A smooth talker and that's about all he is. He was a jerk disguised in a good guy costume, like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood's cape, your intuition could see through the mask, but you chose not to see. That little echoing voice, your intuition, will be your guide so listen up and pay attention.

Intuition Helpful When Traveling?

Listening to your intuition will not only be helpful in your daily life and the decisions you make therein but, when traveling, intuition will help you know what is right for you. Many times when traveling you will meet new and interesting people on your journey. Some of these people you may develop a real connection to, and others you may feel you cannot trust and aren’t comfortable traveling with them. If you experience the latter feelings of distrust for a fellow traveler, cabinmate, or roommate, then don't hang around them. Make up an excuse to avoid them or go your own way, don't ever stay with someone you don't trust when you are on the road.

There have been several times, when traveling, I didn't listen to my intuition and ended up disappointed and angry with not only the other person but most especially with myself. In those times, I wondered why I hadn't listened to my gut feeling. Maybe it was because I hoped it would work out or I'd overlook some things that nagged me because I wanted to travel with another person. Those times of not listening to my intuition actually helped me to learn to listen and trust my inner feeling. I thought there's got to be something to this, use it. Beginning to use my intuition and discovering that what I felt was accurate, I was a believer. Intuition will always be helpful, you just need only to listen and trust your self.

Abandoned And Bummed In Budapest

Budapest was one of the last cities in Europe I was to visit before heading back to see newly made friends in Germany, then finally back to England. While in Prague, encountered a woman I had met on a boat trip to the Greek Islands, two months before. She was traveling with a new buddy, Sara. They invited me to spend some time with them that evening, and it turned out that Sara and I would be in Budapest at the same time. We decided to meet at one of the accommodations in our guidebook on a specific date. I was going to Crakow first and she was going to stay in Prague longer.

Delighted to have a travel mate in Budapest, I was really psyched. I went to Crakow and then met up with Sara in Budapest. We spent a couple of days together just seeing the sights and talking and talking. It was really nice to travel with someone after not having a travel mate for more than five weeks.

Sara and I decided to take the overnight train to Munich, it would be safer with two people. Only two hours before we were to leave for the train station, Sara informed me that she was going to stay one more night in Budapest to "party" with her new "friends." These people were not my type of "friends," so I said goodbye.

Anger slowly turned into anxiety as I arrived alone at the train station around 10:30 p.m. There were many men drinking and sitting about waiting for the train to depart. I felt like the only woman on the planet. I decided to walk across the street for a donut and a cup of coffee. I opened my journal and wrote. I finally admitted that somehow I knew Sara would bail on me, I just had that "feeling." I don't know if I was angrier with her for abandoning me at the last minute or at myself for not listening to my intuition. At that point, who cares, just listen next time.

I walked back to the station, saying a prayer the night would go by safely and quickly. As I was about to board the train, another young woman with a backpack was boarding. I approached her and asked if she wanted to share a cabin. She spoke little, if any, English, but, at the end of a little charade show, we were sharing a cabin. We locked the door and kept very quiet; the drunken men just passed by. The evening went smoothly and we arrived around 5:00 a.m. in Munich. We shared a cup of coffee in that chilly morning hour; although we couldn't converse I just knew she was a great person. We said goodbye and went our separate ways.

Intuition Or Some Other Feeling?

Learning to differentiate between intuition and other feelings such as fear, anger, excitement, or desire, can be made by determining the origin of the feeling. Feelings of fear, anger, excitement, or desire stem from either similar experiences in the past that are being triggered (someone who is "pushing your buttons") or feelings that arise after mentally and emotionally processing the present you are faced with and acting or reacting therein. Many emotions arise from the heart and have a strong connections to past experiences you hold in your memory. Intuition, on the other hand, is not influenced by past emotional events, but is free from such distant events. It arises independently from one situation to the next. Intuition does not hold the memory of past hurts or joys, it presents itself in appropriate situations to help guide you to do what is best for you.