The Importance of Trips
Perhaps one of the most effective and fun ways to refect and recalibrate your life
I’m in the final stretch of what has been the longest trip I’ve ever taken alone. Three weeks in the US and Canada visiting family and friends followed by another two weeks on my own quarantining in Japan.
I’ve always been a big believer in the power of stepping away from your daily life by taking a trip. This trip has allowed me to reflect on this power and the ingredients at play in helping you to reflect and recalibrate your life. I’m sure it differs person to person, but here are the ingredients that really do it for me:
The excitement of being in transit - whether it be in a car on a winding rural road, a boat crossing a straight or a jet whisking you halfway around the world - gives you a jolt of adrenaline that kicks your body and mind into its prime.
Removed from your normal surroundings and daily routine, you have ample time to reflect on your life and what you are doing with it.
Experiencing new things reminds you of the adventure that is life and that it should not be wasted.
Reuniting with family and friends reminds you of what the most important things are.
And finally longing to get back to your home and loved ones brings you gratitude for the daily life you have been living. All these experiences and feelings are the core ingredients of a trip well travelled. This was hammered home very clearly during this trip.
I was able to live this out over five weeks, but reflecting on my pre-covid trips, whether they be family vacation or whirlwind business trips, I think all these ingredients were, in varying degrees, present in making travelling one of my most personally enriching times. It truly provides a perfect backdrop for you to examine your life, double down on what you love about it and commit to doing, or stopping, things to make it even better.
My next trip certainly won’t be for five weeks, but I plan to ensure the various ingredients at play described above are put into action to achieve a similar backdrop to reflect, recalibrate and celebrate my life.
Happy travels and here’s to carving out time to do so, despite all the challenges.
