Travel gives us a time to temporarily change our location. We also have an opportunity to alter our perspective; on life, work, or any topic we choose as a focus. This is similar to what can occur when we put our eye to the viewfinder of our camera. Our point of view changes.
When we travel, whether for a day or a longer period, many of our daily routines are changed. We see new sights, we may sleep in a different bed, we may or may not have travel companions to share the experience. Sometimes we need the shake-up that happens on both a physical and a mental level as we travel. At other times we need the relaxation that can come when our perspective shifts.
Leaving our homes and our routines for a period can have a calming or a disruptive effect, depending on our viewpoint. For example, I was not able to post a blog entry on this site last week due to the disruptive effects of travel. Although not posting caused me some stress at the time, I learned that sometimes I need to let go of my preconceived ideas of what I wanted to accomplish at a particular time. My mind needed to experience the freedom to accept the lessons of travel.
Our travel can be near or far, tens of miles or thousands. The distance doesn’t necessarily matter; what is important is the chance to alter our physical location and to revamp our mind. The experiences we have can open us up to the lessons we need to learn. It’s not always clear at the time of the experience the particular lessons we are learning, sometimes not for some time after we return and reflect on our trip. That’s when those lessons we can learn while traveling can have a transformative effect on our daily lives.
The particulars of the trip are not necessarily important, or even directly connected, to the lessons that we need to learn and internalize. Some of my most profound lessons have happened on brief day trips to known locations with previously enjoyed experiences. Other important lessons have been part of experiences that took me many miles and many days to fully understand. As we go forth in our daily lives, we can be looking for the impacts of travel on our regular routines. Opening up ourselves to the encounters and enlightenment of travel can be a most enjoyable situation.