Traveling for a yearly vacation or to see relatives can be fun, exciting, memorable, maybe even relaxing?! But! How about traveling for the sole purpose of gaining inspiration. This would be a more purpose-filled journey, if you will. Life can be so hectic, so distracting. It can be hard to find the quiet, to find a place where you can reflect on life. Most, if not all of us want to live a life filled with purpose; to find what we were created for. I’m not saying you have to travel to find these things, who knows, maybe you’ve already found them! I’m just saying that travel can help you to gain inspiration and to possibly teach you something about others or even yourself.
In-spi-ra-tion- The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Here are a few destination ideas for you to consider:
The Give-Back Destination
This destination is about starting out with the understanding that it really is better to give than to receive! My first destination out of the country was on a mission trip to Guatemala. I had no idea what to expect. I also thought I was just traveling there to ‘help out’ and to gain a new life experience. Well, not only did I gain a new life experience, I gained a broader world view! One that has helped me on so many occasions in life. Yes, to be grateful…but even more than that, to be more compassionate! I love that story about the boy saving one starfish at a time that had been washed up on a shore…when a man asked a boy that was tossing starfish back into the ocean why he would even bother, there were too many starfish for him to save? The boy tossed another into the ocean and said “I made a huge difference in that one!”
The point I’m trying to make here is that sometimes to be full of happiness or inspiration we need to be someone else’s happiness and inspiration! Look into non profit organizations like a church or online volunteer sites that go on trips with the purpose of helping a certain people group; maybe to bring medical supplies, a building project, disaster relief, etc. I am well over-due for one of these trips myself, and hope to take my whole family this time!
The Engulf Yourself in a New Culture Destination
Go somewhere you’ve never been before! Not just somewhere familiar, go experience a new culture! Every time I’ve been to a different country with obvious differences in their culture, I’m inspired! I’m inspired because I’m forced to see life differently. We all have differences, even within our own culture. Seeing how others live gives us opportunity to see outside of ourselves. It helps us to be more inclined to try something new; be adventurous even! Ever stopped to think about something as simple as how we greet one another? How we spend time with our family or friends? I love how, in France, you would be considered rude if you began speaking to someone without first saying a simple “Bonjour!”. We can learn a lot by observing other cultures. I’ve been challenged to see if I live the way I do simply just because of the culture I grew up in or if it is truly the way I want to live. Read more about cultural experiences in my posts… Top 10 reasons I want to go back to Paris! and Top 15 of my favorite things while visiting Hong Kong!
The Tranquility Destination
Stressed? Too busy to even think about being inspired? Then you might need to travel someplace to be quiet. A place that gives you opportunity to hear your own thoughts. Maybe a tropical destination? The sounds, smells, and feeling of the ocean can be SO relaxing, therapeutic even. I can’t count how many times the sea has helped me to feel at peace, helped to calm my weary soul. Some call this “beach-therapy” and I believe it works wonders!
Or perhaps some of you might enjoy a different setting like the mountains. Whatever your preference, being surrounded by nature can give you a sense of peace and tranquility, an ideal place to be still and present! Read more about tranquil destinations in these posts…Florida’s best kept secret, Navarre Beach! and The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina! Sometimes ‘unplugging’ from our busy schedules, technology, etc. is the best way to posture ourselves to find inspiration.
Whatever destination you choose, I hope it will bring you joy and inspiration. Remember it’s not just about the destination, it’s also about the journey it takes us to get there…wherever ‘there’ is.
Happy travels, everyone!
Really lovely post and great photos as well:) I agree that I do gain so much inspiration by simply traveling to a new place. One of the trips I have yet to do, is a missions type trip. Giving back, in whatever capacity, always makes one’s soul feel good. I also think I’m about ready for a new cultural inspiration trip! Maybe I can find a way to merge the two somehow;) Thanks, as always, for the “inspiration!” I really look forward to reading your posts each week! 😉
Aww! Thanks, Joscelyn! I think everyone should go on a trip somewhere with the sole purpose of giving back to a community or people group at least once in their lifetime…I hope you will be able to sometime in the near future! Thanks for reading, friend:-)