As I set out to write this article, I was sitting in my office in Sausalito, California, reviewing the various books and research on the topic of mid-life travel and transformation. One very enlightening book is Travel That Can Change Your Life: How to Create a Transformative Experience by Jeffrey A. Kottler Ph.D. Kottler says that travel has so much to offer us in refashioning ourselves. We learn about ourselves: what we love, what we may be missing, and if the trip is grueling we may learn about what we hate and even what we are capable of. As I was reading Kottler, I had an aha! moment-one cannot write about travel by staying home and reading about it. I must get out and have an “experience” of travel. But, how do I do it without a ticket to ride?
I decided to fashion a mini-escape for the morning. It was a sunny day in March and I packed up my laptop and went to my favorite café in downtown Sausalito. I sat out on the lovely patio facing the water to read more of Kottler and write my article.
The next thing I knew I was engaging in a most interesting conversation with a couple from the Washington D.C. area, and their daughter who lives in San Francisco. The mother, Renee, who is a bubbly blond with the most engaging smile and dancing eyes, turned me on to books that helped her tremendously with her mid-life transition and ultimately in taking action on the design of her budding vintage furniture business. Renee said that the gist of her reading and experience is that “nothing happens until one moves”.
As I shared, with the threesome, that I was there to write an article for 50 plus women about travel, passion and transformation, the family excitedly told me that they had traveled extensively throughout the world and then shared the following pearls of wisdom from their travels:
Get Moving!
Renee’s husband Rob spoke first: he said what he loves about travel is that it really gets you moving-as we go from place to place, we stay in motion. As I listened, I was reminded that all life changes must involve “getting going.” If no action is taken nothing will be accomplished. Travel is also very satisfying as it gives us a sense of completion: an opportunity to quickly model seeing a project through from start to finish.
Learn to let go of stuff!
Rob and Renee’s daughter, Kirsten, who is the founding director of the Green Café Network, has extensively traveled since she was a teenager. She told me that “travel helps you let go of stuff.” When we travel we learn that we really only need what fits in the bag. Losing our luggage can be very freeing, knowing that our bare essentials may consist of just a toothbrush and a bar of soap. What if we were to approach the decisions in our lives with “less baggage” and determined what we really want to carry?
Step Outside of What You Know-there are many ways to live
When Kirsten was in college, she traveled to Chile. In the home where she stayed, she shared a room with the grandma. Kirsten said that she asked why the grandma was always lying down. The family, matter of factly, told her that grandma got kicked by a cow years ago and has not moved much since. Kirsten said that in other cultures all generations of family live together and all ages learn from one another. For me, it was a great lesson in realizing that as we step outside the “accepted” ways to live, we can try on different ways of looking at situations and come up with far more flexible and creative solutions.
Finding Out What We Are Passionate About
Once again, Rob spoke, and said that travel can really get you in touch with what you are passionate about. He shared that as we pick up a guidebook and choose what we would like to do on our trip, we notice what we are attracted to. We also can journal our experiences, our insights, and our feelings and bring home a wealth of clues to shake us up and out of our “ruts” of existence. Have you ever noticed that it is after traveling, that so often people come home re-energized and with renewed vigor and new insights into “what is next”?
Learning From Our Fellow Travelers
As we wrapped up our conversation, I realized I had learned far more from this family than I would have learned from sitting at home and researching about travel’s lessons. Together, they had over 50 years of traveling experience and they were shining examples of following their passion. The best part is that I did not have to get on a ‘plane to get the benefits of travel. I just needed to get into a new environment to see things in a new way and to hear other travelers’ stories. I drove home refreshed and revitalized-just what I love about a great vacation!
