Travel rejuvenates my soul
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine.
My wife and I spend many days every year somewhere other than home. We love to explore new areas and return to places that have special meaning to us. Most of the time, we all exist in a rather small geographic bubble. Get up, go to work, go to the store, see the same people, eat in the same restaurants, follow a routine. Getting out of our comfort zone reminds us of how small our bubble can be and how many things we are missing in our daily lives. I think if our world becomes small, our minds, our creativity, our passions begin to become small as well. We get way too comfortable not knowing what we don’t know.
Experiencing new places, new people, new cultures re-energizes our mind and our soul. The act of traveling and the anticipation of travel gives us something amazing to look forward to and talk about. It gives us stories to tell. It makes us better people. It forces us to think, to learn, and to feel. It makes us human.
"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - Miriam Beard
How often do you spend eight hours of uninterrupted time with your spouse? Not often. Or with one of your children? Nikki and I have solved so many issues, fears, concerns, dreams during long trips in the car to a new place. Traveling is exciting and we are filled with anticipation and hope as we make our way down the road. This positive energy transcends our conversations and we often make major decisions and set important goals while we are on a journey.
We have also incorporated many things into our daily lives based on experiences during travel. We built a covered back porch after having lunch on an amazing back porch of a restaurant during a weekend getaway. We have spent countless hours on that porch and it is a gathering spot for our neighbors as well. (You will hear more about this porch in a future blog). The act of travel has a positive impact on our daily lives that we would have never imagined without traveling.
“The greatest legacy we can leave our children is happy memories.” – Og Mandino
We take an annual beach trip with our immediate family and significant others to the Outer Banks. Financially, it can be a stretch for us, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. It is one of the only times that we are all together and genuinely spend time just being together. No interruptions. Just hanging out and having fun. It’s hectic, and crazy, and chaotic, and wonderful.
My daughter Chelsey lives in Arkansas with her fiancé Kendall. To see them playing on the beach with their two nephews is priceless. We all go out and play bocce ball on the beach after dinner, even though we don’t really know the rules. Garret and Blake will have plans to catch a shark in the ocean at night, while the rest of us have a cocktail on the porch and laugh.
It is something we all look forward to every year. It is a place of positive common ground and enjoyment, as we all pursue our individual lives. Right now, we are up to 12 people. How cool it will be to see this number keep growing!
“Life was meant for good friends and great adventures.” - Unknown.
We are blessed with many wonderful friends. Experiencing new places with friends that you love builds those friendships to a new level. It is a time for learning about each other and getting to know each other at a deeper level, as you enjoy new adventures together. Mix in some martinis or margaritas and then you really get to know some stuff!
People that I want to invest in have become increasingly important as I have gotten older. I appreciate my friendships more than ever and I consciously work to grow them. By contrast, I invest very little time in relationships that don’t bring meaning or value to my life. Life is too short.
“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang
Travel makes me appreciate home even more. When you are away, you are reminded of the things that you love about home. Those things that you miss when you are not there. It is a great way to reset and focus on the positive things in your daily life and have a greater appreciation for your blessings.
Go travel!